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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29924736">Red Carpet Romance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikotyzini/pseuds/Mikotyzini'>Mikotyzini</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Hollywood AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:29:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>39,291</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29924736</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikotyzini/pseuds/Mikotyzini</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A movie star. An author. A chance meeting and an instant spark. This is the story of how two strangers fall in love - and all of the adventures that come with it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>319</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey everyone!  Even with how the current volume is going, we can still use <em>more</em> bees in our lives, right?  Right!  Absolutely.</p>
<p>If you've read my other stories, you'll know that I spend an awful lot of time putting poor Bumblebee through the wringer. And it breaks my heart just as much as yours :( So, I decided to create this AU...a Hollywood AU...and pack it so full of fluff it's nearly going to float away - it's just so fluffy!</p>
<p>White Rose WILL appear eventually and (I think) in a very interesting way. But until then, it's just a whole lot of bees, bees, and more bees. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Yang walked out of the gym into the late morning sun after a rather vigorous workout. Still clad in her workout clothes, she knew that she probably should have changed at the gym in case there are any cameras around (at least, that's what her agent would say), but she really didn't care if she got caught. She didn't live too far from here, so she wouldn't be outside for long.</p>
<p class="p1">Plus, in her form fitting black shorts, yellow spaghetti strap tank with black and yellow sneakers, she actually thought she looked pretty good. Maybe not <em>red carpet</em> good, but at least regular person good…</p>
<p class="p1">But the weather outside was just too nice today for her not to walk the fifteen minutes back to her apartment. Clear and warm, it was the perfect temperature to be strolling by the many shops and restaurants in the area.</p>
<p class="p1">Currently in between projects, she actually finally had some free time to enjoy days like today without her cell phone ringing constantly with one person after another trying to get ahold of her. Still, she knew that her agent would contact her at least two more times today (the first had already occurred this morning to remind her that she <em>didn't</em> have anything scheduled for today...as if she had needed a reminder for that).</p>
<p class="p1">Walking down the sidewalk, she wondered why there weren't more people out enjoying the perfect weather. Then, she remembered that it was a Wednesday at 11 a.m. and most people would be stuck in their offices for at least a few more hours.</p>
<p class="p1">She received some stares from the few people who were out, but nothing too egregious. Fortunately, she had gotten used to the feeling years ago; no longer did she feel violated by the looks as she once had.</p>
<p class="p1">It was at that time that she felt a familiar presence nearby…something that made her skin crawl and the hairs on her arm stand on end.</p>
<p class="p1">"Fancy meeting you here, Yang."</p>
<p class="p1">She froze at the sound of the familiar voice, internally chastising herself for being dumb enough to walk home today. After taking a few seconds to compose herself, she slowly turned around to greet the speaker.</p>
<p class="p1">"Heyyy…Cinder," she replied as she laid eyes upon the petite brunette standing behind her. She forced a polite smile onto her face for appearances, just in case anyone was watching their interaction. Mentally, she kicked herself for having not noticed the girl when she had stepped out of the coffee shop Yang had just walked past.</p>
<p class="p1">"How have you been?" Cinder asked civilly, taking a step forward into her personal space. Yang's immediate reaction was to take one step back, trying to maintain some semblance of a safe buffer between them.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, you know, just busy…" she replied, backing further away while she attempted to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Nothing good could come of an extended interaction with the brunette.</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, Cinder was persistent, as always, matching Yang step for step as they continued their unusual stroll down the sidewalk. The girl must have felt so vindicated, catching Yang out in public where the blonde couldn't easily slip away without causing a scene. In fact, the smirk on Cinder's face confirmed that that was exactly how she felt right now.</p>
<p class="p1">"You know…I've been thinking that we needed to talk…" the brunette said, reaching out one arm and brushing her fingers lightly down Yang's left shoulder.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang (none too subtly) yanked her arm away as if Cinder had tried to touch her with a lit match.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Way to keep it cool</em>, she chided herself at her knee jerk reaction.</p>
<p class="p1">But as far as she was concerned, they had absolutely nothing left to speak about except for work every once in awhile. Merely exchanging pleasantries seemed to be far too much talking with the woman. But how to make Cinder understand that clearly?</p>
<p class="p1">As Yang tried to come up with the perfect words to say, her eyes happened to land upon Plan B - a block in the direction she had just come. Of course, Yang was no coward about speaking to the girl…she just…really didn't want to right now.</p>
<p class="p1">"You know…" Yang began, halting her backwards walk and taking a quick step forward, catching Cinder by surprise with their sudden proximity.</p>
<p class="p1">She bit the bullet and leaned in even closer, close enough to whisper in Cinder's ear while trying not to gag on the overpowering smell of jasmine.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think that…I left my phone at the gym!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang took off as soon as the words left her mouth, making sure to shout, "see ya around!" with a friendly wave as she sprinted back towards her gym.</p>
<p class="p1">Who cared about not making a scene, anyway?</p>
<p class="p1">"Hey!" Cinder yelled, although her voice carried a lot of qualities similar to an angry growl.</p>
<p class="p1">And, just as she had suspected, Cinder pursued her.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't help rolling her eyes. Why did this girl have to be so predictably insane?</p>
<p class="p1">She kicked her legs into high gear, silently cursing herself for doing extra stair climbers this morning. She was already at a slight disadvantage to begin with, knowing that Cinder was faster than her over shorter distances. And with her legs already screaming in protest, Yang needed to lose her fast.</p>
<p class="p1">That's where the rest of her plan came in. The initial surprise had bought her a few seconds of separation, but, just past the gym, she had spotted a crowd of people lined up outside of a store. It wasn't a huge amount of people, but if she made it to the gathering first, it would block Cinder's line of vision long enough for her to duck inside and hide somewhere.</p>
<p class="p1">Now…Yang wasn't <em>proud</em> to be running...but some girls just didn't know how to take "no" for an answer. So, what other choice did she really have?</p>
<p class="p1">Hearing the pounding of footsteps behind her, she finally made it to the group of people. Thankfully, she had managed to maintain a few second lead on Cinder.</p>
<p class="p1">"Excuse me, pardon me," she said as she shoved in between several people as delicately as possible.</p>
<p class="p1">As soon as she was on the other side of the line, she cut to her left, ducking through the doorway into the large book store. Her eyes scanned the layout rapidly, looking for any place that might provide enough cover or a good hiding place. Her vision then fell upon some yellow caution tape blocking off a small hallway for cleaning and repairs. Perfect.</p>
<p class="p1">She grinned as she took off towards the hallway, easily hopping the tape and pulling open the first door she could find before slipping inside. She pulled the door shut behind her, but kept it held open a fraction of an inch - just enough so that she could see a sliver of the store outside when she pressed her eye to the doorframe.</p>
<p class="p1">Her heart was pounding in her ears from adrenaline as she watched Cinder pause in the store, yellow-orange eyes fiercely searching the room.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang felt herself stop breathing when Cinder looked in her direction. Fortunately, the girl's attention was diverted at the perfect moment by one of the store patrons wanting to take a picture with her. Cinder instantly dropped her scowl and happily obliged (everyone knew that it was extremely bad press to turn down a request from a fan, after all). After waving goodbye, Cinder looked around one more time before stalking towards the back entrance of the store.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang let out the breath she had been holding in a loud sigh, finally allowing the door to swing completely closed. That had been a close one. She should remember to go thank the person who had distracted…</p>
<p class="p1">"May I help you with something?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Jesus!" Yang yelped in surprise as she spun around, clutching her chest in an attempt to keep her heart from jumping clean out.</p>
<p class="p1">In her haste, she had failed to notice that she had run into a restroom…or that there was another occupant inside.</p>
<p class="p1">The girl was sitting on the counter between the sinks, legs dangling off the edge while she peered at Yang with a mildly bemused expression set on her face. Her long, black hair had a slight wave to it, in contrast to Yang's own mess of long, blonde curls. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans and white blouse that complimented her slim figure, accompanied by some cute black boots.</p>
<p class="p1">But the most striking feature about the girl were her eyes. Filled with intelligence and cunning, they had a piercing quality that made Yang feel as if she were being run through an X-ray machine on high power. They were also the most stunning gold Yang had ever seen.</p>
<p class="p1">She was beautiful. Completely, undeniably, 100%, drop-dead gorgeous.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang swallowed, her tongue suddenly feeling extraordinarily too large for her own mouth, as she tried to respond to the girl's question.</p>
<p class="p1">"I…uh…I was, you know, just…hiding from someone," she answered as nonchalantly as possible, finding no easy lie that would make her look any better than the truth.</p>
<p class="p1">The girl gave a small laugh in amusement, the sound causing Yang's heart to begin beating much more quickly than normal.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well <em>that</em> part was pretty obvious," she answered with a small smile. "What's not obvious is why."</p>
<p class="p1">While the girl struck Yang as rather reserved, she could swear that she saw a playful glint in those amber eyes. And that <em>laugh</em>. She could make a recording of that sound, play it 24/7 for the rest of her life, and still never grow tired of hearing it.</p>
<p class="p1">Realizing that she was off to a rather poor first impression, she decided that it might not be the best idea to go into more detail on the catastrophe that was Cinder Fall. Now might be a good time to introduce herself, instead.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm Yang," she finally managed to say, stepping forward and extending her right hand towards the girl. "Yang Xiao Long."</p>
<p class="p1">The girl looked at her hand interestedly before reaching forward to grasp it, still not leaving her perch upon the counter.</p>
<p class="p1">"I know who you are," she replied, shaking Yang's hand briefly before releasing it. "You're in all of those Dust Chronicle movies."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang didn't know whether she should be proud or ashamed of herself from that comment. The way the girl said it was purely a statement, with no hint of congratulations or condemnation.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm Blake," the girl said, finally breaking into another smile.</p>
<p class="p1">God, the smile, the eyes…Yang was having a really difficult time maintaining her poise right now...what little she might have left.</p>
<p class="p1">"It's nice to meet you, Blakeee…?" Yang drew out the last syllable, hoping to coax a last name out of the mysterious girl.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake shook her head slightly with a small grin.</p>
<p class="p1">"Blake Belladonna."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang broke into a huge smile. Cute laugh, cute smile, cute name, just plain <em>cute</em>. She committed the name to memory before she realized that it actually sounded vaguely familiar.</p>
<p class="p1">"Wait a second…" she remarked as the light bulb finally clicked on in her brain. "The <em>author</em> Blake Belladonna?"</p>
<p class="p1">The girl flushed, nearly imperceptibly, but Yang still saw it. She was pretty sure it was the most adorable thing she had seen in her entire life.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes…" Blake answered quietly, as if unsure of how Yang would react to this new information.</p>
<p class="p1">"That's awesome! I've read some of your stuff. It's really good! Some of it is quite…steamy."</p>
<p class="p1">She grinned, but realized that she was just making Blake appear more and more embarrassed as she gushed.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…I'm actually up for a part in Snowy Cove," she admitted somewhat guiltily. She didn't want the girl to think that she was soliciting a reference, after all. "B-but I actually don't know if I'll have the time with the new Dust movie shooting soon."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake finally smiled at her, causing Yang's heart to beat a little quicker than she would ever care to admit.</p>
<p class="p1">"You would make a great Jade."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang flushed faster than she had in a long, long time. That was actually the part she was being considered for.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…" she began, struggling to maintain a comfortable stream of conversation. "Now you know why I ran in here, but why are <em>you</em> in here?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake looked slowly towards the bathroom stalls before turning her eyes back to Yang, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.</p>
<p class="p1">"Should be pretty self-evident, right?"</p>
<p class="p1">Now Yang was officially the reddest she had ever been in her life. In the history of time, no one had <em>ever </em>been as embarrassed as she currently was. She could swear that steam was coming out of her ears from how hot her cheeks felt.</p>
<p class="p1">But why was she so embarrassed? She didn't get self-conscious <em>that</em> easily! And she was great at talking to new people...<em>especially </em>girls. So why was <em>this</em> girl getting the better of her?</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…well…usually people don't…hang out here…after…" Yang trailed off, pretty sure her face was fire engine red by this point.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake laughed, apparently very amused by Yang's reaction. The sound was like music to her ears, but only increased her embarrassment.</p>
<p class="p1">"I was just…waiting here until it was time for me to…make my appearance…" Blake explained cagily, looking down at her hands as she spoke. The sudden shift to modesty caused a smile to spring back onto Yang's face.</p>
<p class="p1">At least this girl wasn't as impenetrably aloof as she seemed.</p>
<p class="p1">"What kind of appearance would you make at a…oh…"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang finally strung two and two together, disappointed that she hadn't understood immediately. She would blame that brain malfunction on the frenzied mindset she had been in when she had entered the store.</p>
<p class="p1">"A book signing! That's what all those people are out there for!"</p>
<p class="p1">Nodding her head, Blake smiled again, but this time it was much more of an anxious smile than before.</p>
<p class="p1">"My new book just came out, so I've had to do these all over the country…"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang quirked an eyebrow at the girl's tone.</p>
<p class="p1">"You don't seem very happy to be meeting your fans," she observed.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well," Blake began, a spark reemerging in her eyes as she looked back up. "It should come as no surprise that authors aren't particularly fond of crowds."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed. Sometimes she completely forgot that not everyone was used to being approached on nearly every street corner by complete strangers. And Blake had gotten her, again. This girl was sharp.</p>
<p class="p1">"They aren't exactly rabid, so they should be pretty tame to get along with. And, they all adore the worlds you created, so you automatically have things to talk about with every single one of them!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled. In relief? Gratitude? Yang hoped that she had been able to provide some amount of support with her words.</p>
<p class="p1">"I guess you're right," Blake finally admitted.</p>
<p class="p1">Pulling her phone out of her pocket, the author quickly checked the time.</p>
<p class="p1">"I should get out there now though," she said as she finally hopped down from the counter. Yang felt a small wave of happiness when she realized that she was actually slightly taller than the raven haired girl.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake walked straight up to Yang, causing her heart to begin pounding as the girl grew closer and closer to her. As each inch separating them disappeared, Blake became even more stunning. Finally coming to a stop directly in front of her, Blake raised an eyebrow at her quizzically.</p>
<p class="p1">A moment of confusion consumed Yang as she stood there, openly gawking at the beautiful woman standing so close to her. It wasn't until Blake cleared her throat lightly that she realized she was standing in front of the door, effectively blocking the exit.</p>
<p class="p1">"S-sorry," Yang stuttered as she stepped hastily out of the way, allowing Blake to walk past her and push open the bathroom door.</p>
<p class="p1">The author paused as she was halfway out, holding the door open with her left arm.</p>
<p class="p1">"It was nice to meet you, Yang," she said genuinely while sending Yang another smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"Y-yeah it was great to meet you too!" she managed to stammer out as the door swung shut once again.</p>
<p class="p1">Wow, what was wrong with her today? She was usually just a <em>little</em> more original than that.</p>
<p class="p1">Now alone, she leaned her head back against the closest wall, letting out a loud sigh while she listened to the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.</p>
<p class="p1">"Damn."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">"Next!"</p>
<p class="p1">Once the magic word was shouted out by the store manager, the next person in line stepped forward. This time it was a young girl, probably around 13 years old.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello," Blake greeted the girl kindly. "What's your name?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Daphne! It's sooo awesome to finally meet you in person!" the young girl replied, positively bouncing up and down with excitement as she stood in front of the table. "I've read every single one of your books!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled at her, briefly thinking that the girl was quite young to have read some of the books she had written. But she knew that when she was Daphne's age...well, she had had an avid thirst for the experiences books could offer.</p>
<p class="p1">"That's always a nice thing to hear…I hope that means you enjoyed them?" she asked instead while grabbing another hardback off the top of the stack beside her and flipping open the front cover.</p>
<p class="p1">"I LOVED them!" Daphne exclaimed rather loudly, causing Blake to flinch nearly imperceptibly from the sudden loud noise.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, I hope that you love this one just as much," Blake replied with a small smile before turning her attention down to the book in front of her. "So, Daphne, what kind of message would you like me to write and who should it be made out to?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake always asked her fans what type of inscription they would like her to write for them. She had been told many times that she didn't have to, that she could just write the same few phrases over and over again, but she liked the idea that she was giving her readers something truly unique and special. Something that actually made their wait in line worth it. Plus, some people came up with some <em>very</em> interesting requests.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'd be happy with anything! And it's just for me."</p>
<p class="p1">She nodded. The most common request was for something "inspirational," even though Blake felt that she had little authority to be attempting to inspire others. Those were the easiest though, since she borrowed quotes from some exceptionally talented authors who <em>were</em> quite inspirational. Anything she wanted though…that was more difficult…thankfully, she had already gotten a good feel for the young girl's personality. Smart, bubbly, ardent reader… for Daphne, she felt it would be appropriate to write down one of her all-time favorite quotes:</p>
<p class="p1">'These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves.'</p>
<p class="p1">Once she had finished signing her name, she blew lightly on the words to make sure the ink had dried before she shut cover. With another smile, she handed the book over to Daphne, who let out an adorable squeal of happiness as she accepted it.</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you so much!" she cried out as she hopped out of line, standing over to the side to read what Blake had written to her.</p>
<p class="p1">It was nice sometimes to see how excited people were to meet her - and they did all share common experiences through the stories she had written. But, it could be very exhausting sometimes to greet new people over and over again for several hours.</p>
<p class="p1">She bent over to grab one of the many bottles of water that had been placed on the floor beside her, twisting off the cap in order to take a quick drink. Speaking with all of these people certainly made her thirsty too.</p>
<p class="p1">"Next!"</p>
<p class="p1">Excited whispers caught Blake's attention as she sensed a small commotion occurring in the crowd in front of her. Looking up curiously, she felt her breath catch in her throat when she found herself staring into deep lilac eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello again," Yang said quietly as she leaned closer to the table so that her words could not be easily overheard by the overly excited crowd of people behind her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…I totally cut that lady behind me, so maybe you could be extra nice to her?" Yang smiled in embarrassment at her confession. That beautiful, radiant smile…Blake could probably write an entire book solely based on the blonde's smile.</p>
<p class="p1">She had resigned herself to never seeing the gorgeous woman again when she had walked out of the restroom. It wasn't like writers and actresses usually hung around the same crowds, after all…and besides their chance encounter, what really would they have in common? But here Yang stood, grinning at Blake like a fool.</p>
<p class="p1">Only then did Blake realize that she was still gawking at the girl in shock.</p>
<p class="p1">Collecting herself, she hastily grabbed another copy of her book and set it down in front of her. Flipping over the front cover she looked up to Yang, trying to maintain a calm expression even when her heart was hammering around in her chest from their close proximity.</p>
<p class="p1">"What would you like me to write?" she asked, thankful that her voice remained unwavering even though she could feel her hand tremor lightly as she clutched the pen between her fingers.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…well…" Yang began, leaning in even closer towards Blake as she lowered her voice to just above a whisper.</p>
<p class="p1">"I was kind of hoping that you'd...write down your number so that I could invite you to dinner sometime…"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake felt her jaw fall open a fraction of an inch. Had Yang Xiao Long really just…asked for her phone number? So that she could ask her out on a date?</p>
<p class="p1">Her face flushed heavily when she suddenly realized that from this angle, she could see straight down Yang's top. She dutifully lifted her eyes back to Yang's face, finding the blonde was still smiling at her hopefully, awaiting her response.</p>
<p class="p1">She turned away, finding it more and more difficult to think straight while looking into those eyes. Instead, she began scribbling hastily on the front cover of the book in front of her. Once done, she snapped the cover audibly closed and handed the book to the blonde, clicking her pen shut as she did so.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang looked at her, confusion reading on her face.</p>
<p class="p1">"Next," Blake spoke herself this time, waving the lady at the front of the line forward. Fortunately, Yang got the message and stepped off to the side and out of the way, disappointment radiating from her demeanor.</p>
<p class="p1">But Blake felt her pulse racing as she gave a nervous smile to the lady standing in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched closely while Yang opened up the book and read her words.</p>
<p class="p1">'I don't usually give my number to girls I meet in restrooms, but I suppose this time I can make an exception. 456-4689 Blake Belladonna'</p>
<p class="p1">Her heart skipped another beat when she noticed Yang look over at her again, that stupidly sunny smile back on her face. Snapping the book shut and humming a happy tune to herself, Yang headed out of the store, but not before stopping to take photos with several people along the way.</p>
<p class="p1">"I didn't know that Yang Xiao Long was one of your fans!" the lady in front of her said in an excited whisper as Blake absentmindedly passed a signed book across the table to her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah…me neither…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">"I want to call her. When do you think I can call? How long am I supposed to wait before calling?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang was practically bouncing out of her seat at the small café table she and her best friend were currently occupying. The treasured book placed in front of her, she kept flipping open the cover only to feel more butterflies explode in her stomach when she saw the neat handwriting scrawled inside.</p>
<p class="p1">A giggle brought her back down to earth, drawing her eyes to the red haired beauty sitting across from her. For what must have already been the tenth time that day, a flush blossomed on her cheeks.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha Nikos was one of the world's most sought after models, with her long red hair and vivid green eyes gracing billboards and magazines across the globe. Yang would willingly admit that Pyrrha greatly beat even her in terms of pure beauty.</p>
<p class="p1">However, the model was exceedingly humble despite her worldly renown. Unpretentious, supportive, and exceptionally kind, the two girls had instantly hit it off when they had met at an after-party hosted by some huge clothing line Pyrrha represented. They had been best friends ever since.</p>
<p class="p1">But right now, Yang narrowed her eyes and frowned at the giggling girl.</p>
<p class="p1">"What's so funny?"</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha waved her hand while she continued laughing. Yang briefly wondered how it was possible for such a simple gesture to appear so composed, until she reminded herself that <em>everything</em> Pyrrha did appeared composed.</p>
<p class="p1">"You're smitten!" Pyrrha finally remarked, grinning at Yang's scoff of indignation.</p>
<p class="p1">"I am <em>not</em> smitten! I just…really want to see her again!" she sputtered, feeling her face burn even hotter.</p>
<p class="p1">"Then why don't you just call her now?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Because!" she exclaimed, shocked that Pyrrha wasn't fully understanding the gravity of the situation. "I can't call her too early and look overzealous…but I can't call her too late and seem uninterested!"</p>
<p class="p1">"I see…" Pyrrha forced a straight face as she nodded her head in fake understanding. "But why don't you just call when <em>you</em> want to call?"</p>
<p class="p1">Putting her head down in her hands, Yang let out a loud groan before explaining something that everyone should already know.</p>
<p class="p1">"There are <em>rules</em> to follow, Pyrrha. Standard dating protocol that needs to be adhered to!"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes…I am aware of 'the rules'…I'm just suggesting that you forget about them."</p>
<p class="p1">Her mouth dropped open at Pyrrha's advice. Not follow the rules? What kind of advice was that?</p>
<p class="p1">"Pyrrha, do you drive at all?"</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at her silly question.</p>
<p class="p1">"What am I asking; of course you do," Yang said hurriedly, brushing past her momentary brain lapse in an effort to still prove her point.</p>
<p class="p1">"Imagine if there were no traffic laws in Vale. It would be crazy, right? We'd be swerving all over the place, nearly killing each other or pedestrians…there would be no order at all!"</p>
<p class="p1">"And your point is…?" Pyrrha asked.</p>
<p class="p1">"The rules keep things organized. They make people feel more comfortable. You don't have to worry about the crazy driver in the lane next to you suddenly pulling a U-turn on a one way street - because that's against the rules."</p>
<p class="p1">"I think I understand what you're trying to say…" Pyrrha replied with a nod, clearly trying to suppress a smile at Yang's analogy. "It's just that…you really seem to like her. And if she's as you've described her, I'm pretty sure that she would appreciate the sincerity."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang paused to think about Pyrrha's point. Blake did seem much more reserved than most of the people Yang regularly spent time with. Maybe she <em>would</em> appreciate the honesty if Yang just called and said that she couldn't stop thinking about her and that she wanted…no, <em>needed</em>…to see her again, right away (or maybe something a little less needy). She did like the idea of treating Blake differently than anyone else…a lot.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, I'll do it."</p>
<p class="p1">She was determined now. And when she set her mind on something, she was going to follow through to the best of her ability.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha raised an eyebrow in disbelief.</p>
<p class="p1">"Right now?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, right now," Yang snapped as she fished her cell phone out of her bag. Flipping open the cover of the book one more time, she began punching in the phone number written there, trying to ignore Pyrrha's shocked expression at the recent change of events.</p>
<p class="p1">Turning away from her friend, she faced the front window of the café as she crossed her legs in front of her. She was attempting to appear calm, but as soon as she hit the 'call' button she could feel her nerves beginning to unravel. She was suddenly acutely aware that she hadn't thought of anything she wanted to say other than "I want to see you again."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, wow, you really mean right now."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang shot Pyrrha a glare as the phone began ringing.</p>
<p class="p1">Ring…</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe Blake wouldn't even pick up.</p>
<p class="p1">Ring…</p>
<p class="p1">After all, she had obviously been busy this afternoon. How long did book signings normally last, anyway?</p>
<p class="p1">Ring…</p>
<p class="p1">Oh god, should she leave a message? What should she even…</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang nearly dropped the phone when she heard the voice coming over the other end of the line.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh. Uh…hi! Is this Blake? This is Yang…Yang Xiao Long? We met earlier today…"</p>
<p class="p1">A gentle laugh sounded, setting Yang's ears on fire in embarrassment.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, I do seem to remember meeting you today, although I wasn't expecting you to call so soon..."</p>
<p class="p1">"Ah! Yeah…I was going to wait a little longer, but was convinced otherwise."</p>
<p class="p1">She tossed another glare towards Pyrrha, who threw both hands up in the air in an attempt to feign innocence.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…anyway…I was kind of hoping, if you're free tonight, maybe you'd like to…grab dinner or something? I know that you're probably really tired from the signing today, but I know a great little place in the area…I don't know if you like Italian food or not though. A-and only if you're available - of course! I mean, available as in no prior commitments, not relationship-wise. Although that would be ideal, as well…"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yang?"</p>
<p class="p1">She immediately stopped talking when she heard her name, realizing in horror that she had been rambling, big time.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'd love to go get dinner with you tonight."</p>
<p class="p1">Her heart soared at the words. Yes! She had said yes!</p>
<p class="p1">"Really?" she exclaimed, not able to conceal a fraction of the excitement in her voice. "That's great! I mean, I'm glad that you want to go. The restaurant is called Octavio's, have you heard of it? Would you like to go at 7:30?"</p>
<p class="p1">"I am familiar with Octavio's," Blake replied with another small chuckle. "I love Italian and will meet you there at 7:30."</p>
<p class="p1">"Awesome possum! 7:30. I'll see you then!"</p>
<p class="p1">She ended the call and carefully placed her phone down on the table. Her heart was still pounding as she thought about every word of the conversation that had just occurred. Glancing over to Pyrrha, she found her friend staring at her as if she had just grown a second head.</p>
<p class="p1">"Wow."</p>
<p class="p1">"Shut up," Yang replied as she playfully threw her napkin across the table before burying her face in her hands in utter humiliation.</p>
<p class="p1">"What the hell did I just say?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…you said a lot of things…and very <em>very</em> quickly," Pyrrha offered helpfully. "I'm honestly surprised she managed to get a word in at all."</p>
<p class="p1">"I just got so nervous! I couldn't stop the words spewing out of my mouth. It wasn't that bad though, right?"</p>
<p class="p1">She looked back to Pyrrha, hoping to have her fears assuaged.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha coughed instead, picking up her drink and carefully avoiding Yang's gaze.</p>
<p class="p1">"No, no…it was quite awesome...possum."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang groaned. She wasn't usually such a failure at speaking to girls. In fact, she would like to think that she was actually somewhat of a charmer. But this girl had her tripping all over herself…she had never used the phrase 'awesome possum' in her entire life! So of course today was the <em>perfect</em> time to pick up a new catchphrase.</p>
<p class="p1">"She still said yes!" she finally pointed out triumphantly.</p>
<p class="p1">As long as she had a date for tonight, she had another chance to prove that she wasn't such an awkward person all the time. But she could already feel the nerves building at the thought of seeing Blake again. And the two of them would have to hold a conversation…for at least an hour or so.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang had yet to prove that she could even string two solid sentences together when in the author's presence.</p>
<p class="p1">Suddenly, she gasped when a realization occurred to her.</p>
<p class="p1">"What should I wear?" she asked in panic as she mentally scrolled through her closet at home. Should she go casual? Dressy? Dressy casual? Chic? Casual chic? God…the possibilities were nearly endless.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha smirked as she flagged down their waitress for the check.</p>
<p class="p1">"Isn't there a rule for that?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">She ended up forcing Pyrrha to go shopping with her after they had finished their lunch. They had had a great time, which was no surprise since they always did, and Yang managed to piece together the perfect outfit for the evening – or at least, one that she felt somewhat confident in wearing.</p>
<p class="p1">She had paired a collared, light grey half-sleeve blouse with a tan blazer - a cute, thin brown belt wrapped around her midriff - black pants were accompanied with tan flats. She had rolled up the sleeves on the blazer to give off more of a casual vibe.</p>
<p class="p1">It was dressy, yet casual.</p>
<p class="p1">Being somewhat apprehensive, she had ended up getting to the restaurant more than a little early, even though she had decided to walk there from her apartment instead of drive.</p>
<p class="p1">She hated driving in downtown Vale. The traffic was bad no matter what time of day it was, and there was never any place to park. Sure, she could valet her car…but she could make it all the way home in the time it took them to fetch it for her after the meal.</p>
<p class="p1">The staff at Octavio's all knew her; she went there often for dates or meals with friends. There was even a special table where they always seated her. In the back of the restaurant, it was shielded from too many prying eyes by some cleverly placed foliage. Quiet and secluded, it was the perfect place to have a first date.</p>
<p class="p1">She had ordered a glass of water while she waited for Blake to arrive, but had already drained the entire first glass. It wasn't like her to be so nervous, but she really didn't know what to expect once Blake did show up. If she did.</p>
<p class="p1">Oh god, what if she got stood up?</p>
<p class="p1">Her fears were instantly alleviated when the host came around the corner with Blake in tow. Yang's heart started pounding as soon as the author's eyes met hers once again, a smile tugging at the girl's lips. Yang couldn't help beaming in response, drinking in Blake's appearance as if she had spent a year in the desert and the raven haired girl was a tall glass of water.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake was wearing a gorgeous navy blue, low cut, long sleeve shirt with a pair of form-fitting black jeans and wedges. Her long black tresses hung loosely down her back, ever so slightly waving as she walked. She looked casual, comfortable, and…perfect.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang stood up as the host led Blake over to their table and set menus down for both of them. Bidding them a happy meal, he left the two of them alone together.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…hi!" she said, extending a hand towards her date. "It's great to see you again!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake looked at her hand quizzically, but gently shook it regardless before she sat down at their table.</p>
<p class="p1">"It's great to see you again too."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang mentally kicked herself for making such an amateur move. A handshake? Really, Yang? The <em>proper</em> way to great such a fine lady was with a hug, or a kiss on the cheek. But a handshake? What better way to say 'let's just be friends' than a handshake…</p>
<p class="p1">"So…uh...how did the rest of your book signing go?" Yang asked in an attempt to recover, watching Blake casually pick up the menu in front of her.</p>
<p class="p1">"It went well…everyone seemed to ask a whole lot of questions about you though."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh…"</p>
<p class="p1">Well great, now she felt terrible for stealing the girl's thunder at her own book signing.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, don't worry!" Blake replied hastily, probably noticing how distressed Yang seemed to be. "It was actually quite interesting. I made a small game out of it even."</p>
<p class="p1">That comment piqued Yang's attention - she liked games.</p>
<p class="p1">"Game? What kind of game?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Well," Blake began as she laid the menu down in front of her, looking pensive. "Whenever someone asked about you, I would ask them what character in any of my books they thought you should play in a movie. I kept track of all the answers - would you like to see them?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang nodded her head vigorously. Hell yeah she wanted to see them!</p>
<p class="p1">Blake giggled at her enthusiastic response as she pulled a folded piece of paper out of her wallet and slid it across the table to her. Yang quickly took it and unfolded it, pressing it flat against the table and seeing character names with tallies marked beside them. The author had already counted the final tally up and written ranks next to each of the names, so Yang started with the most popular choice.</p>
<p class="p1">"Saranna?" The name was the most popular, by far, and had been circled on the page, but Yang didn't even know who the character was.</p>
<p class="p1">Suddenly seeming rather embarrassed, Blake picked up her menu once more with a slight cough.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes…Saranna was the most common answer," she remarked, clearly dodging the obvious question Yang wanted to ask.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang allowed a few seconds of silence to pass before deciding that she would have to actually ask her question out loud.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…what book is she in? What's her story?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Well...she's the main character in <em>Sunflower</em>. It's just a simple love story…but did you see who the second most common answer was?"</p>
<p class="p1">Directing her eyes back down towards the paper, Yang saw the number two circled beside a familiar name.</p>
<p class="p1">"Jade! Wow that's pretty awesome, since I could actually get to play her!" Yang remarked happily. "Although…you know…I don't know how I really feel about the green hair…"</p>
<p class="p1">She ran a hand through her own golden locks as she said this. She really loved her hair…she knew that it would only be a wig, but she didn't think that she would even <em>look</em> good with green hair!</p>
<p class="p1">A laugh drew her out of her thoughts and back to the table, smiling when she saw Blake giggling at her. The sight was so adorable.</p>
<p class="p1">"You would look great with <em>no</em> hair, Yang," the girl replied casually, but the words had an unintended effect of making Yang blush like a tomato.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake thought that she looked great? Why was that so much more of a compliment than the thousands of times she heard it from strangers every day?</p>
<p class="p1">She coughed, not sure what to say in response. She would <em>like</em> to say how Blake was the most beautiful person she had ever seen and made Yang look like a piece of tree bark in comparison..but was positive that she would die of embarrassment before she managed to get all of the words out of her mouth.</p>
<p class="p1">"Um…so third is…Fiona. Oh I know this one too! She's that kickass martial artist," Yang nodded her head in approval. She would definitely love to play that role.</p>
<p class="p1">"And the last one…suggested all of one time…is Alex. What book is she from?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake tried to keep a straight face as she answered, failing miserably when she broke into laughter.</p>
<p class="p1">"<em>He</em> is in <em>Dog Days</em>," she managed to get out between her laughs while Yang felt her jaw go slack in shock.</p>
<p class="p1">"<em>HE?</em> Who thought that I should play a man?"</p>
<p class="p1">She was aghast. She prided herself on being a very feminine person, so why would someone want to cast her as a male? It was hard to imagine her pulling off a masculine appearance with all of her...curves. And again, her hair!</p>
<p class="p1">"They didn't mean it as an insult," Blake responded reassuringly. "They thought that your personality would match up closely to his."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh…"</p>
<p class="p1">Well maybe that made her feel a little bit better.</p>
<p class="p1">"Why is that though? Is he as devilishly charming as I am?" she asked, shooting Blake a wink which the girl easily deflected with a small smile.</p>
<p class="p1">No blush? Seriously? Yang had apparently lost all of her superpowers today...</p>
<p class="p1">"He's arrogant, competitive, egocentric, a tad chauvinistic…"</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh gee, he sounds like a wonderful person to be compared to," Yang cut in.</p>
<p class="p1">"He's <em>also</em> loyal, brave, witty, and handsome, among other things," Blake finished.</p>
<p class="p1">"Handsome?" Yang caught onto that one word. "I can live with handsome."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake shook her head, but still smiled.</p>
<p class="p1">Just then, their waiter appeared to take their orders.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good evening. Would you both like your usual tonight, or would you like to order something else?" he asked politely while looking down at the both of them.</p>
<p class="p1">"The usual is fine, Antonio. Thank you," Blake responded nonchalantly while handing her menu to him.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah…same here. Thank you, Antonio…" Yang said, staring across the table in surprise as she too handed her menu over.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…so you come here often?"</p>
<p class="p1">"I do…I usually sit at the counter and work on a story. I didn't even know this table was back here though, so you must come here much more often than I."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh yeah, I come here all the time with my friends and on da…"</p>
<p class="p1">Her eyes opened wide in horror when she realized what had almost just slipped out of her mouth. And from the way Blake was now laughing, Yang was guessing that she had caught on to what Yang had been about to say.</p>
<p class="p1">"So I'm not the first person you've brought here?" the raven haired girl replied, holding one hand over her heart in fake hurt. "How <em>could</em> you, Yang?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…I mean…uh…" Yang sputtered, at an utter loss for words, before putting her head down on the table in defeat.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you know any good doctors, Blake? Because I'm going to need a <em>great</em> one to have my foot removed from my mouth."</p>
<p class="p1">More giggles came from across the table, causing Yang to look up just in time to see a happy smile picking up the corners of Blake's mouth. Yes, the embarrassment was totally worth it.</p>
<p class="p1">"I actually <em>do</em> know a great doctor," Blake finally replied through her laughter. "But I don't think even she would be able to help you."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang shrugged her shoulders and gave a little laugh herself.</p>
<p class="p1">"That's ok. I have an abnormally large mouth, so it's used to having large things shoved in it by now."</p>
<p class="p1">She couldn't help making the obvious innuendo and threw a wink towards Blake to make sure the girl knew she was joking. But what she hadn't expected was the reaction.</p>
<p class="p1">Was that a <em>flush</em> on her date's face? And Blake was now avoiding eye contact, directing her eyes towards the bar while she chuckled nervously. Yang felt like jumping out of her seat in triumph.</p>
<p class="p1">She had finally found one of Blake's weaknesses! Thank god. She had been beginning to think that the author had an impenetrably cool aura that was completely unshakable. But there was something that embarrassed even her!</p>
<p class="p1">Yang was going to remember to make use of that little tidbit of information in the future, but for right now she needed to save her date from anymore embarrassment.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, ok, I'll be the hero and bail you out…" she stated jokingly.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake's eyes flashed back to her with a smirk reappearing - halting the rest of Yang's words instantaneously.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh <em>now</em> you'll be the hero? What happened to the girl cowering in the bathroom this afternoon?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't help herself from bursting into laughter. <em>Wow, that flipped fast</em>, she thought as she felt her own cheeks heat up from having embarrassment swung back at her so quickly.</p>
<p class="p1">"Touché, touché."</p>
<p class="p1">Raising her hands to admit defeat, Blake's eyes softened, with playfulness being replaced by curiosity.</p>
<p class="p1">"Who were you running from, anyway?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…" Yang stalled while she tried to decide if she should try to dodge the question or answer honestly. "Would you believe…Big Foot?"</p>
<p class="p1">The girl shook her head, adding, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"</p>
<p class="p1">Dodge unsuccessful.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang sighed. She didn't want it to seem like she was trying to hide anything - that wouldn't exactly be the best way to start things off. Although…telling the truth certainly wouldn't help her either…</p>
<p class="p1">"I was running from…you probably know of her, actually…but it was Cinder. Cinder Fall?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake was already nodding her head in acknowledgment.</p>
<p class="p1">"So basically, you were running from your ex?"</p>
<p class="p1">A shovel would probably be needed to scrape her jaw off the table as she stared at the girl in shock. How had she known?</p>
<p class="p1">"How disconnected from society do you think I am?" Blake asked incredulously at her expression. "I'm an author, not a hermit."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang shook her head in an attempt to throw off some of her surprise.</p>
<p class="p1">"I…uh, I don't know! I mean…I just always figured that writer's spent all their time inside. You know…writing?"</p>
<p class="p1">"I do spent a lot of time inside writing, but that doesn't mean I don't go on the internet occasionally. Besides, if I shut myself off from the world, how would I come up with ideas for new stories?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Well I thought you read other books for that!"</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, so you mean you thought I just plagiarized my stories?" Blake asked calmly, causing Yang's eyes to widen in horror.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>Oh great, now you've insulted her. Way to go, Yang. Way to go…</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">"N-no! Of course not! I just thought that you…that maybe you…uh…" Yang stumbled around her brain, trying desperately to think of a good way to recover.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake only chuckled at her increasingly failing explanation, eyes sparkling with unconcealed pleasure.</p>
<p class="p1">"It's ok, I know what you meant," she finally said, ending Yang's futile struggle. "I am curious why you would run from your exes though. Couldn't you just…be civil?"</p>
<p class="p1">"You would think!" Yang exclaimed, happy to be on any topic but the one where she accused Blake of plagiarism. Although, Cinder wasn't a much better topic…</p>
<p class="p1">"But she's <em>completely</em> insane. Like…off the walls, strap her in a strait jacket and throw away the key, <em>psycho</em>."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake laughed at her description.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm sure most people would describe their exes that way."</p>
<p class="p1">"No! I'm being so serious!" Yang stressed, trying to remove the look of disbelief from Blake's face. "Ok, ok, here's one example of <em>pure crazy</em>."</p>
<p class="p1">In the back of her mind, she thought that there must be some sort of rule about talking about her ex on the first date - but she had already broken so many rules…what was one more?</p>
<p class="p1">"This one time, she tried to <em>light me on fire</em>."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake's eyes widened in surprise for a few seconds, before she broke into a nearly uncontrollable fit of laughter.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm not lying!" Yang said dejectedly while watching the girl continue to laugh.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh no," Blake raised one hand while trying to calm down. "I believe you. I've always thought she seemed a bit off. But I was just imagining her…trying to…l-light you with a t-tiny little m-match!"</p>
<p class="p1">The girl dissolved into giggles again, this time with Yang joining her. Yeah, it did sound a little funny when you pictured it like that.</p>
<p class="p1">"S-so," Blake continued when her laughter began to subside. "Didn't you get the feeling that she was crazy <em>before</em> you started dating? Or was it a sudden onset thing?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang sighed.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'd always thought she was a little...erratic. But it was one of those things where we spent so much time together on set, and then even the media thought we should get together…so, we just kinda did. BIG mistake."</p>
<p class="p1">"And now you have to run from her when you bump into each other on the street," Blake commented forlornly, shaking her head in what appeared to be mock pity.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah…well it's not something I'm <em>proud</em> of, but it certainly paid dividends this time!" Yang said with a bright smile. What she would have liked to say was, 'I'm glad I did, because I ran right into you,' but that might be a little too heavy for this evening.</p>
<p class="p1">But Blake smiled back at her and when their eyes met, Yang could swear that her date might have been thinking the same thing.</p>
<p class="p1">At that moment, Antonio returned with their plates heaped with steaming food in his hands, setting down Blake's and then placing another one in front of Yang.</p>
<p class="p1">"The seafood linguine," he commented as he placed Blake's plate down.</p>
<p class="p1">"And…the eggplant lasagna. Enjoy ladies."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang licked her lips as she looked at the steaming slice of lasagna staring up at her. A thing of absolute beauty…</p>
<p class="p1">"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen someone look at something so eagerly before."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang tore her eyes away from her food, looking up to find Blake smirking as she gracefully unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap.</p>
<p class="p1">"You don't need to be jealous; I can look at you the same way if you'd like me to," she replied flippantly as she unfolded her own silverware, thoroughly enjoying the blush that lit up Blake's face.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…how did you get into acting?" Blake asked, pointedly changing the subject. Yang happily made a mental note that the girl didn't turn down her offer before answering her question.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh I just stumbled into it, really. I was looking for jobs after college and went on an interview in a huge office building. The interview didn't go that great, but on the way out I saw a sign for an audition looking for a 'young blonde girl.' Since I was already there, I decided to do the reading anyway and surprise! I got the part. I've been acting ever since."</p>
<p class="p1">"And you became a pretty good actress, at that," Blake added with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang felt her cheeks warm at the compliment. It wasn't often that someone actually praised her acting ability. They mostly just made comments about how attractive she was.</p>
<p class="p1">"How about you? How did you get into writing?" she asked quickly, trying to direct attention away from herself.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…I've known that I wanted to be a writer ever since I was a little girl. I read a lot…and started to write my own stories when I was still a teenager. I went to college for writing, and sent my first completed book to a publisher right after graduation."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't help smiling when she thought about little Blake with her nose always stuck in a book. It was certainly a fitting image.</p>
<p class="p1">"Where did you go to school?" Yang asked curiously as she began cutting her food into smaller pieces, trying to let it cool down. If she tried to eat it now, she would surely make a fool out of herself.</p>
<p class="p1">"Beacon University."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang's mouth dropped open at the answer.</p>
<p class="p1">"No way! Me too!" she exclaimed, causing Blake's eyes to widen in disbelief.</p>
<p class="p1">"Really?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, really! What, you thought that I was too dumb to get into a school like Beacon?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…no…I didn't…I'm just surprised I never saw you around campus, is all," Blake fumbled through her answer, clearly afraid of having accidentally called Yang stupid.</p>
<p class="p1">But she had learned by now not to be insulted when people were surprised that she actually had a brain. When you worked in the industry she was in, appearances were much more highly rewarded than intelligence. She had worked with enough dingbats to know that they gave a bad reputation to them all.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm guessing that you were in the Marks Residences then," Yang squinted her eyes thoughtfully while she made her guess. That had been where all of the…more studious...students had lived. It was also on the opposite side of campus, so Yang hadn't made it over there too often.</p>
<p class="p1">Nodding her head, Blake said, "And you must have been in…Webb Hall?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang grinned, nodding her head in confirmation.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yup! Biggest party dorm on campus!" she remarked proudly, causing Blake to roll her eyes with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh come on, you can't tell me that you never came over for a party," Yang prodded the girl jokingly.</p>
<p class="p1">"I did a couple of times…I remember a foam party one year in particular…"</p>
<p class="p1">"The foam party! Which year did you go? It doesn't matter, they were all great!" Yang remarked ecstatically, before a thought suddenly brought her to a screeching halt.</p>
<p class="p1">"Wait…I know for a fact that I went to <em>all</em> of the foam parties…I made sure not to miss any of them."</p>
<p class="p1">"So…we were actually at the same party one year?" Blake asked while Yang nodded her head slowly.</p>
<p class="p1">"And never bumped into each other? Well…it would have been hard to see anyway with all that foam…but still! That's a little depressing actually…" Yang replied honestly as she thought about what might have happened if she had actually struck up a conversation with college Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">Would they have gotten along? Would they have immediately hated each other? Yang knew that she had been much more…carefree…in college. She could only imagine that she would have come off as wild and uncontrollable to Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…we've met now, so that's good, right?" Blake suggested tentatively, which immediately perked her up.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake was right. Missed opportunities didn't matter now.</p>
<p class="p1">While they ate their meal, they continued talking about many different topics. College, friends, work, hobbies…hardly any stone was left unturned. The more Yang learned about Blake, the more she found herself liking the girl. She was sharp, quick witted, kind, with a deep rooted sense of humor that came out every so often, especially to poke fun at Yang.</p>
<p class="p1">Thankfully, the more time they spent together, the less nervous Yang felt being around her. She was still nervous, definitely, but she felt slightly more capable of forming complete and coherent sentences every once in a while.</p>
<p class="p1">After some time, Antonio came back to their table, capturing Yang's attention.</p>
<p class="p1">"Excuse me, ladies," he began politely. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but the restaurant is actually going to be closing in just a few moments. Would you like anything else before then?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang looked at Blake in shock before turning back to their waiter.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm really sorry, Antonio! I think we're done, thank you."</p>
<p class="p1">Antonio nodded once before he turned and walked back towards the kitchen.</p>
<p class="p1">"Wow, it is late," Blake commented after looking at her phone for the time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, I didn't even realize that they would be closing!" Yang replied as she stood up from the table, stretching slightly as her body protested having been seated for such a long time.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake followed her as they walked out of the nearly deserted restaurant.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…shouldn't we get the check?" Blake asked quietly as Yang continued towards the front door.</p>
<p class="p1">"I already paid!"</p>
<p class="p1">She smiled at the girl's confusion. She had given her credit card to the host when she had gotten to the restaurant, wanting to avoid any argument over who would pay for the meal.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, well thank you for the lovely dinner," Blake answered as she stepped through the door Yang was holding for her and into the cool night air.</p>
<p class="p1">"You're very welcome," Yang replied. "Thank you for agreeing to come to dinner, in the first place!"</p>
<p class="p1">A couple of seconds passed while they looked at each other, each unsure about what to do next.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…can I walk you home?" Yang finally asked nervously. She didn't want their night to end just yet - to her, it still felt as if it had only just begun.</p>
<p class="p1">And from what Blake had told her, she didn't live that far away from Octavio's. In fact, they had both been surprised to find that they had been living only a twenty minute walk away from each other for the past year or so.</p>
<p class="p1">"Sure." Blake smiled as she turned in the direction of her apartment and began walking. Yang moved to follow, but froze when she saw the girl walk slightly away from her.</p>
<p class="p1">Under the street lights, Blake looked even more elegant and mysterious than she had earlier that day. It was as if the darkness embraced the girl, their two essences merged as one entity underneath the stars above.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake suddenly turned her head to look over her shoulder, amber eyes glowing in the darkness.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you coming?" she asked, a whimsical smile playing at her lips when she caught Yang staring at her.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang blinked as she was pulled from her temporary trance. Blushing, she jogged the several steps until she was standing shoulder to shoulder with Blake. Once there, the two of them continued walking, quickly falling into a comfortable rhythm beside each other. They picked up where they had left off their conversation back at the restaurant - as if there had never been a break in their words.</p>
<p class="p1">It was so easy to talk to Blake; something about it put Yang's mind at ease in a way she had never felt before. It was as if the two of them had been destined to meet each other...fated, even.</p>
<p class="p1">Regrettably, the ten minute walk was over with in no time and Yang found herself looking at the tall apartment building Blake had just pointed out to her.</p>
<p class="p1">It was funny that she had driven by this building hundreds of times before, yet couldn't remember ever thinking anything about it other than 'that place looks nice.' It was large, typical for this area of Vale, nearing twenty or so stories tall and set back from the road enough to accommodate a semi-circular drive pulling up to the front lobby. It was modern, well-kept, and almost looked like a remodeled hotel rather than an apartment building.</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe it was just Yang's wishful thinking, but she thought she could feel their pace slowing as they followed the sidewalk towards the front doors.</p>
<p class="p1">Unfortunately, they eventually reached the doors and their inevitable place to say their goodbyes.</p>
<p class="p1">Even more unfortunately, Yang could not think of the appropriate words to say in this situation, leading to an awkward silence as the two of them stood facing each other. She scuffed her right foot against the concrete instead.</p>
<p class="p1">She didn't want this night to end. She would be ok if they just kept talking for hours and hours more.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…so…I had a really great time tonight," she finally managed to say.</p>
<p class="p1">"I did too," Blake responded. The words brought a smile back to Yang's face. She knew that <em>she</em> had had a good time, but hadn't wanted to presume that Blake felt the same way. Hearing the admission gave Yang a small boost of confidence as a question began formulating in her mind.</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe she shouldn't be asking it right now. She should probably at least wait a day or two so that she didn't look so needy. That's what the rules would suggest, anyway.</p>
<p class="p1">"When can I see you again?"</p>
<p class="p1">Butttt…of course Yang had already broken every rule imaginable so far today, so she might as well just toss out the entire rule book at this point, because she really couldn't seem to help herself. She felt as if she were caught in the gravitational pull of the sun, unable to escape, only being dragged closer and closer. Her body felt like it was on fire, but not in a painful way at all - in a comforting way, as if Blake's mere presence were stirring something deep within her.</p>
<p class="p1">And when Blake smiled in response to her question, Yang decided that it wasn't a bad thing at all. She wouldn't struggle against this attraction, she wouldn't fight it.</p>
<p class="p1">She would burn up in those eyes, if that's what this was leading her towards.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm free for most of the days this week before I have to head out of town," Blake replied, oblivious to the effect she was having on Yang.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang felt her heart lift at the girl's words.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…tomorrow?" she immediately asked, mentally hoping that it came out fractionally less desperate than it sounded in her head.</p>
<p class="p1">But Blake nodded, completely unfazed at being asked out again on such short notice.</p>
<p class="p1">"I have to have dinner with my publisher, but I'm free in the afternoon."</p>
<p class="p1">"Perfect! I'll come pick you up at 2!" Yang said, earning herself a quirked eyebrow from the dark haired girl.</p>
<p class="p1">"Am I allowed to ask where we will be going?" Blake asked curiously.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…"</p>
<p class="p1">She hadn't actually thought of a place to go or something to do. She had just wanted to see the girl again as soon as possible, but now she realized that she would actually have to come up with an idea as to where to go.</p>
<p class="p1">"It will be a surprise! Just dress for being outside," she finished lamely. Blake grinned at her, probably knowing that Yang was bluffing at having any sort of plan formulated.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, 2 o'clock. I'll see you then," Blake replied, smiling one last time before she turned to open the lobby door.</p>
<p class="p1">"Have a great night," the author finished as she turned back to Yang one last time, amber eyes freezing Yang in place once again.</p>
<p class="p1">"Y-you too!" Yang sputtered as Blake disappeared into the building and the door swung shut behind her.</p>
<p class="p1">After spending several seconds feeling elated that she had managed to secure herself another date, she realized that she needed to get home and figure out what they were actually going to be doing. And she had restricted them to doing something outdoors. She didn't even know what the weather was supposed to be like tomorrow!</p>
<p class="p1">She turned away from the building and hurried down the sidewalk on her way home. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and quickly dialed Pyrrha, whose number she had memorized long ago.</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>Ring.</em>
</p>
<p class="p1">"How'd it go?" Pyrrha's voice came out of the phone after the first ring, foregoing the customary 'hello.' The unusual answer made Yang smirk. Pyrrha had probably been waiting by the phone all night for her call.</p>
<p class="p1">"Really, really great," she answered honestly as her thoughts drifted back to the evening she had just experienced. She sighed in satisfaction.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think I'm in big trouble, Pyrrha."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Before you get confused, this is a FLASHBACK! The scenario was mentioned in the previous chapter and I just felt the need to write more about it. So...flashback!</p>
<p>(But I hope everyone still enjoys it! I think it lends some interesting history to our two lovebirds.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The sound of thudding party music and masses of voices grew louder as they walked down the sidewalk and closer to their destination. They passed several sprawling mansions in the dark, each with giant Greek letters adhering to the front walls, before stopping in front of the source of all the commotion.</p>
<p class="p1">The single story mansion had a large front lawn occupied by at least two dozen people who were covered in tufts of white foam. The roof of the building was flat, which seemed out of place when compared to the towering Victorian style home next door, but the flat surface served as yet more space for partygoers to occupy. A railing wrapping around the edge thankfully acted as a deterrent to anyone slipping and falling off of the roof, as there was nearly a foot of white foam covering the mansion like a layer of snow. Darkness and crammed in bodies could be seen directly inside the open front door.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake sighed as the loud music and overwhelming stench of spilled alcohol assaulted her senses.</p>
<p class="p1">"Remind me why we're here again?" she asked for the tenth time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Because we're almost done with college and have earned the right to have fun!" Penny remarked in her usual upbeat voice, although Blake could tell that her orange haired friend was apprehensive.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake nodded her head slowly.</p>
<p class="p1">The premise of the…gathering…did seem intriguing - it was just the actual attendees that bothered her. But, she had promised to go with Penny since her friend had been reluctant to go alone.</p>
<p class="p1">Penny would just owe her one later.</p>
<p class="p1">"Alright, let's go then," she said as she strode forward, brushing past a few groups of people standing on the sidewalk while she approached the front door.</p>
<p class="p1">Slipping inside, she gave her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the low/nonexistent lighting.</p>
<p class="p1">The inside of the house was packed with people laughing, talking, or dancing. Red plastic cups and aluminum cans were occupying the hands of almost everyone there, but the most noticeable thing was the several feet of white foam covering the entire floor. It was sticking to the walls and the partiers. People were throwing handfuls of the fluffy substance everywhere as a machine in the corner of the giant living room continued to spew more foam to replace whatever might be lost under trampled feet.</p>
<p class="p1">She was really thankful that Penny had advised her to wear shoes and clothing she didn't care about getting soaked in. Her flip flops, tank top, and shorts certainly hadn't seemed like appropriate party attire, but she actually blended in quite well. Other students were either wearing similar clothing or were wearing bathing suits - some complete with pool floats.</p>
<p class="p1">As she stepped forward into the mound of foam, she could see why. The material was light, but also had a damp quality to it that left her clothing already feeling quite moist.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…what now?" Penny yelled above the music from beside her, eyes glistening with excitement as she took in the level of foam around her.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake couldn't help laughing at how happy Penny looked. She reached down and scooped up a huge handful of foam and dropped it directly on the top of Penny's head.</p>
<p class="p1">"I guess we do whatever we want!" she shouted in response, failing to dodge Penny's retaliation as the girl tossed a fistful of foam towards her face.</p>
<p class="p1">Penny giggled while Blake wiped the material from her nose, trying not to get any in her mouth. The two of them played in the foam for several more moments until both of them were covered from head to toe. They explored the house afterward, being jostled more than a few times by the inebriated students roaming around.</p>
<p class="p1">Two aluminum cans were shoved into their hands by a shirtless boy who was wearing what appeared to be a pillowcase over his head. He gave them a wink before he continued through the room, handing cans to anyone who was empty handed.</p>
<p class="p1">Penny opened hers and took a drink, scrunching her nose in disgust at the taste as Blake followed suit.</p>
<p class="p1">"Bleh…they really bought the good stuff, didn't they?" Blake said as she choked down the foul fluid. Definitely not something she wanted to drink again.</p>
<p class="p1">But Penny just shrugged and took another sip, managing to make a slightly less disgusted face this time.</p>
<p class="p1">"I can get you the good stuff if you'd like."</p>
<p class="p1">Both of them turned to find a tall boy speaking to them. The cocky smirk on his face instantly rubbed Blake the wrong way. Crew cut brown hair, tank top, swim trunks, overly exercised biceps with an ego the size of a blimp…he was exactly the type of guy Blake had been actively trying to avoid the last several years.</p>
<p class="p1">"We're good, thank you," Blake replied as politely as possible, turning back to Penny only to find that her friend had abandoned her. She spotted the girl across the room speaking animatedly to someone she must know, leaving Blake to fend for herself with crew cut boy.</p>
<p class="p1">"I haven't seen you at any of our parties before. Do you go to school here?" he asked, flashing a charming smile her way.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, I do," she answered curtly, not willing to offer anymore information to him than necessary.</p>
<p class="p1">"Huh…you must have just transferred in, because I know I would have noticed someone as beautiful as you walking around campus."</p>
<p class="p1">She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">How many other girls had he used that exact same line on?</p>
<p class="p1">"You must have pretty poor eyesight then."</p>
<p class="p1">The comment made him laugh. Not altogether a horrible sound…</p>
<p class="p1">"That may be, but I am definitely seeing clearly now." He leaned forward as he spoke, giving Blake a great whiff of the alcohol on his breath.</p>
<p class="p1">She cringed and didn't respond, wondering if it would be acceptable for her to just walk away - she didn't really see him getting the picture otherwise.</p>
<p class="p1">After a few seconds of silence, he decided to try again.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm Cardin, by the way. Cardin <em>Winchester</em>."</p>
<p class="p1">He said his last name as if she should recognize it, sticking out his hand proudly to shake hers.</p>
<p class="p1">She shook his hand, humoring his final attempt to impress her. She had heard of the Winchesters. They had built a legitimate real estate empire in the city - but why she would be impressed for something his parents had accomplished, she had no idea. The fact that he had money meant nothing to her.</p>
<p class="p1">"It's nice to meet you, Cardin <em>Winchester</em>," she replied with the same emphasis on his last name. "I need to get back to my friend now, so maybe we'll talk later."</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Or never</em>, she thought as she pointed in the direction she had last seen Penny and she slipped away from the dumbstruck boy. She was pretty sure that very few girls resisted that second line of his, if any.</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, Penny was now nowhere to be seen, but at least she had escaped crew cut boy.</p>
<p class="p1">After searching for a few more seconds, she gave up. It was nearly impossible to see people inside, especially when they were all covered in gobs of white foam. Penny had her phone with her; she would call Blake when she was ready to leave.</p>
<p class="p1">Feeling like she needed to get some air, she made her way out the back door of the building and found herself in a backyard patio area.</p>
<p class="p1">There was a pool taking up a majority of the space, with small clumps of foam floating on the surface of the water. People on the roof above her were walking around and talking, happily throwing foam onto the people below.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake walked slowing around the very edge of the pool, still searching to see if Penny was outside somewhere. Not seeing her, Blake turned her attention towards the rooftop.</p>
<p class="p1">She still didn't find Penny, but a small commotion near the entrance to the rooftop did catch her attention.</p>
<p class="p1">A large crowd of students had just appeared on top of the mansion, hooting and hollering in drunken excitement while they made their way towards the railing. Another crowd came outside downstairs, gathering around the sides of the pool while looking up towards the roof.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake stood her ground by the pool and watched curiously as a girl stepped up to the railing, causing everyone to cheer.</p>
<p class="p1">The girl was <em>gorgeous</em>. Blonde hair, super good shape, with a smile radiant enough to win even Blake over. She had an aura surrounding her that seemed to capture everyone's attention - drawing all eyes in her direction. And when the blonde raised both hands over her head, cheers and whistles sounded from everyone watching.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake felt her brow crease in concern.</p>
<p class="p1">This girl wasn't about to do what Blake thought she was…was she?</p>
<p class="p1">"Wow, she's pretty!"</p>
<p class="p1">She jumped at the sound of Penny's voice, not having noticed her friend reappearing by her side while her eyes had been trained on the blonde.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, pretty stupid," Blake responded cheekily as the crowds began to chant.</p>
<p class="p1">"Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!"</p>
<p class="p1">Her concern rose exponentially when the blonde took a few steps backwards in order to give herself a running start. Blake realized that the girl would actually need to somehow clear the railing while maintaining momentum, or she was never going to make it to the water - the pool was too far from the house.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Someone has got to stop her</em>, Blake thought in panic while everyone else looked on in anticipation of watching this girl likely kill herself. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but the blonde was already racing across the rooftop.</p>
<p class="p1">She could only watch in riveted horror as the girl approached the railing, only to have her eyes widen in surprise when the girl leapt gracefully, planting one foot firmly on the top of the railing and propelling herself off of the rooftop. After sailing through the air for a half second, she hit the water in a perfect dive, hardly making a splash.</p>
<p class="p1">Everyone erupted in cheers while the girl swam towards the edge of the pool. Blake was forced to take a small step backwards when the girl pulled herself out of the water directly in front of her.</p>
<p class="p1">Water dripped from her soaked clothing as she flipped her mess of wet blonde hair out of her face. When the two of them briefly locked eyes, Blake was surprised to find herself falling into seas of lilac - deep and sharp, unlike the glassy appearances of the people surrounding them. It took less than an instant for an easy smile to appear on the blonde's face.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hi," the girl directed warmly at her, smile widening.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello," Blake replied instinctually, surprised that the girl had actually spoken to her. She could feel her cheeks warming from the way the girl was looking at her, lilac eyes filled with an avid curiosity that was completely disarming.</p>
<p class="p1">But the spell was broken a second later. The two of them were swept apart as other students clamored to speak to the girl, congratulating her and asking if she'd do it again, this time for a video.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake turned back to Penny, realizing that her heart had been beating incredibly quickly - probably from fear of watching someone seriously injure themselves right in front of her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, thanks for abandoning me earlier with that creep!" Blake said as she playfully knocked Penny in the shoulder with the back of her hand.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm really sorry! I saw one of my closest friends and just had to say hello before she leaves for the summer," Penny said remorsefully before lighting up again.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, but I need to introduce you to her! She said she was leaving but maybe she's still here! I think that the two of you would be great friends - and then we could all be great friends together!"</p>
<p class="p1">Penny grabbed Blake's hand and pulled her back inside the house while Blake rolled her eyes good-naturedly.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do we get to go home afterward?" she asked facetiously, making Penny to giggle while they waded back into the foam in search of this mysterious person.</p>
<p class="p1">"Come on, Blake! This night is going to be spectacular!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake laughed at Penny's zeal, which had ceased to fade over the time they had been in school together.</p>
<p class="p1">But Penny was right - school was nearly over and soon they would be forced out into the world on their own. And maybe she wasn't ready to jump off of rooftops into swimming pools...but it was past time for her to start having a little more fun.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The morning after her dinner with Yang, Blake felt very much…unlike her usual self. She was distracted, unfocused, easily sidetracked…and finding it extremely difficult to plan out her day without her thoughts drifting back to the bubbly blonde she had spent the prior evening with.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake had expected the actress to be nice and amiable, but…maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed. She had been more than pleasantly surprised to have her expectations completely blown out of the water.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang had proven herself to be incredibly smart, funny, charming, and genuine. The conversations they had had were thought-provoking and extremely articulate. It had only taken Blake a few minutes to decide that she was thoroughly going to enjoy their evening together.</p>
<p class="p1">She had also quickly learned that Yang had an uncanny ability to make an absolute fool of herself. She couldn't even begin to count the number of times Yang had stuck her foot in her mouth last night, but the blonde had never seemed to be discouraged by it. In fact, it almost seemed like the more Blake laughed at her missteps, the more they occurred.</p>
<p class="p1">She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much in one evening and seriously doubted that she had ever laughed that much in her life.</p>
<p class="p1">The night had flown by. And she couldn't begin to express how delighted she was that Yang had asked her out again as they stood outside her apartment building. She had hesitated before going inside solely for that reason, but she couldn't find the courage herself to ask the blonde out for a second date.</p>
<p class="p1">Now, she just needed to get through the morning, but she was already counting down the hours and minutes until their paths would cross again.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Blake was waiting impatiently in her apartment long before Yang was supposed to arrive to pick her up. She fidgeted with her clothing – she had already changed her outfit three times trying to find the perfect clothes to wear and she refused to change again.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang hadn't told her where they would be going, only that they would be outside so to dress for whatever the weather was like. Since it was sunny and warm, but not too hot, Blake had finally settled upon some jeans and a nice purple V-neck. She could only hope that this would be appropriate for wherever they were going, and that Yang wouldn't completely outdress her.</p>
<p class="p1">At least they were lucky that the weather had turned out to be beautiful.</p>
<p class="p1">The last few minutes ticked by excruciatingly slowly, while Blake literally sat in her kitchen and watched the clock on the microwave click forward one more minute to 2:00 p.m. on the dot.</p>
<p class="p1">The buzzer rang and Blake jumped in shock. Her heart now racing, she walked quickly to the front door and tapped the call button.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello, Miss Belladonna. There's a Yang Xiao Long here to see you."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled - she was right on time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, tell her I'll be right down. Thank you, Charlie."</p>
<p class="p1">Releasing the button, Blake rushed back to the kitchen to grab her wallet, taking several seconds to make sure she had everything she would need. Satisfied, she walked back to the entryway, pausing for a second to check her reflection one last time.</p>
<p class="p1">She could feel nerves and excitement building as she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang Xiao Long, huh. World famous actress and…her date.</p>
<p class="p1">The ride down was far too short. Before she knew it, the soft 'ding' sounded as the elevator doors slid open, revealing the lobby beyond.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang, who had been chatting amicably with the lobby security guard (a friendly man named Charlie), immediately stopped talking as she turned in Blake's direction. The instant Blake stepped out of the elevator, the blonde's face lit up with a huge smile.</p>
<p class="p1">And that was all it took for the nerves in Blake's stomach to morph into full grown butterflies, fluttering around in her rib cage as if searching for any means of an exit.</p>
<p class="p1">There was something about Yang's smile that was utterly disarming. Blake always seemed to instinctually smile in return, as if compelled to respond to the girl's radiance from some desire deep within her - some secret part of her that was telling her what to do, how to act. It was frightening, alarming, but exhilarating and intoxicating all at the same time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello," Yang greeted her cheerfully while Blake's feet guided her towards the actress as if she were a moth and Yang the flame.</p>
<p class="p1">Her voice was like honey, soothing Blake's mind and soul.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello," she replied calmly as she came to a stop directly in front of the girl. Thankfully, her voice didn't betray any of the tumultuous emotions she was feeling inside.</p>
<p class="p1">"You look…beautiful," Yang remarked, causing Blake to blush and mumble a quiet "thank you" in return. She hadn't expected to be receiving compliments so soon, especially when Yang looked easily ten times more beautiful than she did in her jeans and yellow fitted shirt.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ready to go?"</p>
<p class="p1">When Blake nodded, Yang smiled again and held out an elbow for Blake to hold onto, which she did even though she could feel her blush increasing in magnitude. The doorman held the door open for both of them to step outside into the early afternoon sun.</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe she should have been surprised by the car waiting outside the front doors, but, sadly, she really was not.</p>
<p class="p1">A sleek, black and yellow sports car was parked right in front of the doors, gullwing doors open and awaiting the return of its owner. The vehicle probably cost more than most homes and was as flashy and noticeable as Yang herself. Blake had to remind herself that it was pretty typical of a movie star to drive around in such an extravagant car, not matter how impractical it was.</p>
<p class="p1">"Nice car, huh?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake couldn't help giving a slight roll of her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, it is…"</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Anything</em> you spent that much money on had better be nice, she wanted to say - but kept her mouth shut, not wanting to insult her date. She sincerely hoped that Yang didn't think that a gaudy car would impress her though. If anything, it did the exact opposite.</p>
<p class="p1">With a gentle tug on her elbow Yang prodded them forward, but towards the car parked <em>behind</em> the sports car.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake felt her face catch fire in silent embarrassment when Yang unlocked the silver sedan and courteously opened the passenger door for her. She mumbled her thanks as she got in, resisting the urge to hide her face in her hands in humiliation.</p>
<p class="p1">She felt horribly guilty for having assumed that Yang had tried to impress her with an extravagant car when the actress actually drove something quite…practical. Sure, the sedan was luxurious and probably more expensive than most vehicles people could easily afford, but it was not loud or showy at all.</p>
<p class="p1">This girl truly was full of surprises. Pleasant ones, at that.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang jogged around the car and hopped into the driver's seat, starting the engine and putting the car into drive in one fluid motion.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you know who owns it?" Yang asked while carefully navigating around the sports car.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake still couldn't bring herself to form words, merely shaking her head 'no' in response. She didn't know many of the neighbors in her building, so it wasn't really a surprise that she didn't know whose car it was. Although it was interesting that she hadn't seen it parked here before.</p>
<p class="p1">"I love the colors," Yang commented as she turned the car onto the street. "Reminds me of a bumblebee."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled at the comparison.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…are you going to tell me where we're going now?" Blake asked curiously while watching buildings pass by the window.</p>
<p class="p1">"That depends…do you want me to ruin the surprise?" Yang glanced at her quickly with that quirky grin on her face.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake thought for a few seconds before answering.</p>
<p class="p1">"No, I guess not. I really enjoy surprises."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed, re-energizing the butterflies in Blake's chest at the whimsical sound.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good! Because I love to surprise people. Don't worry, we'll be there in 15-20 minutes."</p>
<p class="p1">As they drove through the streets of Vale, Yang asked Blake how her day had been so far. While it hadn't felt like she had done anything that interesting, Yang hung onto every word she said, asking questions, making comments…Blake quickly realized that Yang wasn't just trying to make small talk on their drive - she was actually interested and <em>listening</em> to everything Blake had to say. She soaked in every word like a drop of water hitting desert sand, instantly craving more.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake had never been around someone so…attentive. And she couldn't say that she wasn't enjoying it immensely.</p>
<p class="p1">Twenty minutes later, Blake finally noticed a street sign that gave her a pretty good idea as to where they were headed. But before saying anything (she didn't want to be wrong), she waited until Yang actually made the turn into the parking lot.</p>
<p class="p1">"The zoo?" Blake finally asked while Yang rolled down her window to pay for parking.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yup!" the blonde replied happily after receiving their ticket from the speechless clerk manning the booth.</p>
<p class="p1">"I…uh…hope this is ok with you?"</p>
<p class="p1">The sudden lack of confidence caught Blake off guard, causing her to blink in confusion while Yang found a parking spot and put the car in park.</p>
<p class="p1">"I haven't been to the zoo in forever," she responded with a smile, hoping to remove every hint of worry that had crept into Yang's expression. The zoo really did sound like a wonderful idea to her, too.</p>
<p class="p1">If it was possible, Blake's smile grew even bigger when Yang beamed back at her - confidence fully restored.</p>
<p class="p1">"Alrighty then, let's go!"</p>
<p class="p1">As soon as they began walking towards the front entrance of the Vale Zoo, Blake felt her senses begin tingling. She tried to ignore it for a few seconds until she was able to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from.</p>
<p class="p1">You know that feeling you get when you sense someone looking at you? Well, it was that, only amplified by…every single person in the vicinity.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang drew every single eyeball in her direction, which, in turn, drew them in Blake's direction. It was as if Yang was the world's most powerful magnet, unintentionally pulling everyone's attention towards her.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake felt like she was shrinking under the intense attention focused her way. She could see people whispering excitedly out of the corner of her eye and pointing towards them. She could only imagine that they were wondering who the person was that was hanging out with the ever so popular Yang Xiao Long.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake was used to receiving <em>some</em> attention like this, but only in certain arenas such as conventions or book signings where her fans would seek her out. When she was away from those events, hardly anyone ever recognized her. It wasn't as if her picture was plastered all over the world like Yang's was - only her biggest fans were likely to recognize her in public.</p>
<p class="p1">However, The Dust Chronicles was easily the most popular film series of the past decade - and Yang was the lead. Almost everyone in Vytal had seen the movie at least once, and those who hadn't couldn't have missed the trailers or advertisements.</p>
<p class="p1">Her eyes fell to the ground in an effort to block out what was happening around her.</p>
<p class="p1">Why hadn't she expected something like this to happen?</p>
<p class="p1">They passed through the gates quickly since Yang had purchased their tickets in advance. Blake spared a second to be completely impressed by Yang's preparation for today. The blonde gave off a 'fly by the seat of my pants' impression, but that actually seemed to be far from the truth.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang stepped off to the side once inside the front gates, staring down at the paper map that had been handed to her. Blake fidgeted while the blonde intently mapped out their route.</p>
<p class="p1">Inside the zoo, it seemed that the stares were even worse. Every person walking in or out noticed them standing there and stopped to gawk for a second or two.</p>
<p class="p1">"Blake?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake jumped when she heard her name, turning to find lilac eyes filled with concern trained on her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Sorry…what did you say?" she asked, realizing that she must have missed something while she was busy being lost in her thoughts.</p>
<p class="p1">"I asked if you wanted to go see the penguins first…"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake shifted slightly when she noticed a teenaged girl pointing excitedly towards them.</p>
<p class="p1">"But hey…" Yang reached out and touched Blake's arm gently, the contact sending an electric current through her veins that brought her full attention back to the girl.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you ok?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake attempted a small smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, I'm fine."</p>
<p class="p1">She immediately felt guilty for telling a lie to someone who was so sincerely concerned about her. That was not something she ever wanted to do again.</p>
<p class="p1">Truthfully, she was slightly uncomfortable with all the attention directed her way, but she didn't want to make Yang feel badly. It was something the actress had very little control over, after all.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang furrowed her brow as she bit her lip, looking around them. Blake couldn't help thinking that the expression was particularly appealing on the girl, before Yang's face fell into a complete frown.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm really sorry, Blake…" Yang said, regret flowing along with her words as she turned back, sorrow filling her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">"I…hardly notice people staring at me anymore…but I should have thought about how it would make you feel…"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake felt something sharp pull at her heart when she saw Yang's distress on full display in front of her. She didn't want Yang to feel responsible for this in any way. And she didn't want Yang to think that this negatively affected how Blake thought of her. Blake had known that Yang was a celebrity the second the blonde had come crashing into that restroom, after all.</p>
<p class="p1">"No, it's really ok," she began, trying in vain to make Yang feel better, but Yang shook her head.</p>
<p class="p1">"No, you're uncomfortable. We can totally go somewhere else - that's completely fine with me. In fact, I can probably call Pyrrha and see if we can…"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yang," Blake cut the girl off before she spun off in search of alternative ideas. "We're already here and I would <em>really</em> love to see some cute animals today." She ended with a smile, a true smile.</p>
<p class="p1">She could get used to being uncomfortable…it might just take a little time. It would be like wearing an itchy sweater. At first, all you can think about is how itchy it is, but the longer you wear it, the more that feeling begins to fade away. Eventually, it becomes just a sweater.</p>
<p class="p1">And this was a much, much better option than seeing that expression on Yang's face ever again.</p>
<p class="p1">Thankfully, Yang's concern ebbed slightly at her words.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you sure?" she asked, giving Blake yet another opportunity to back out.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm positive."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang smiled, clapping her hands together in excitement before wrapping Blake in a quick hug, backing away quickly with a blush now dusting both of their faces.</p>
<p class="p1">Her decision was already completely worth it.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok," Yang began again after giving a quick cough. "Just try to ignore them the best you can. Or, you can do what I do and think about how you're giving them happiness, excitement, something to talk about…simply by walking around! It's cool to think that you can have that effect on people who you might never even talk to or see again."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake couldn't help feeling warmed by Yang's view of her fans. It was clear from the way Yang spoke that she enjoyed being able to add any amount of happiness to someone else's day. It was so selfless and kind of the girl to think that way.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…penguins?" Yang asked again, hopefully, as she pointed in the direction where the penguins would be found.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake grinned and nodded her head.</p>
<p class="p1">"Penguins."</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them turned and began strolling down the path together, enjoying the shade of the large olive trees lining the route. Blake could still feel the eyes on them, but found it easier to ignore the other people if she focused more of her own attention on her date. Not that that was particularly difficult to do, since Yang drew Blake's eyes just as much as her fans, if not more so.</p>
<p class="p1">"So, when you said you could call Pyrrha…did you mean Pyrrha Nikos? The model?" Blake finally asked, having picked up the name when it had fallen out of Yang's jumble of words earlier.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha wasn't exactly a super common name. Plus, it would make sense that Yang Xiao Long, arguably one of the most beautiful women on the planet, would be friends with another woman who was drop dead gorgeous. Blake couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to have both of them in the same room. If she thought the stares were bad now…</p>
<p class="p1">Yang chuckled lightly before responding.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, Pyrrha Nikos. We're close friends and she has this place…oh look!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake looked in the direction Yang was pointing, seeing fake rocks lining an exhibit with a large pool on one side. Small, black and white creatures were waddling around on the rocks, as a couple of the more active members were swimming around in the crystal clear water. The air smelled distinctly of fish, which wasn't an altogether awful smell, but it was quite overpowering.</p>
<p class="p1">She chuckled at Yang's sudden distraction as they walked up to the railing of the exhibit – a thick piece of Plexiglas that came up to their waists. Leaning against the makeshift wall, they watched the small creatures move about their humble home, which was arranged to look like a glacier edged by a clear pool.</p>
<p class="p1">Well, Yang watched the penguins. Blake found herself sneaking glances at the girl out of the corner of her eye.</p>
<p class="p1">To say that Yang was fascinated by the creatures would have been an understatement - the blonde was positively mesmerized by them. Her eyes refused to blink while she watched the two penguins in the water zipping back and forth beneath them, a goofy grin frozen on her face the entire time.</p>
<p class="p1">"I used to want to be a penguin," Yang finally said. She then flushed and turned towards Blake. "Anddd…I just totally said that out loud, didn't I?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake was already laughing at the confession, picturing a tiny Yang penguin, complete with blonde hair.</p>
<p class="p1">"Why a penguin?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang turned back towards the water, no doubt in an attempt to hide some of her embarrassment.</p>
<p class="p1">"Look at them – they swim so effortlessly. And they look so carefree, like nothing bothers them as long as they're allowed to coast around their pool chasing fish. Plus, you have to admit that they are pretty...<em>cool</em>."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake burst out laughing at the play on words.</p>
<p class="p1">"But look at those ones walking around," Blake said as she pointed towards the other animals in the exhibit. "They're not exactly moving effortlessly."</p>
<p class="p1">They both giggled as one of the penguins flopped onto its stomach and began pushing itself lazily forward by its back feet, illustrating Blake's point perfectly.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, I was like 10 years old at the time," Yang replied, pushing herself away from the glass. "Plus, this girl I liked thought they were cute and I wanted her to think I was cute too."</p>
<p class="p1">"Ah, I <em>knew</em> there would be a girl involved," Blake teased, laughing at the blush growing on Yang's cheeks.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ready to continue our tour?" Yang sidestepped, gesturing away from the penguins and back to the path.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake nodded as she followed Yang, thinking to herself that she doubted there was ever a time when Yang was not exceptionally cute, <em>especially</em> at ten years old.</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them spent the next couple of hours walking the footpaths of the zoo, stopping to look at everything imaginable. Blake soon found out that Yang's enthusiasm was not limited to the penguins, but applied to <em>all</em> of the animals that were there. The blonde was able to pick out something about every species that she absolutely adored and would gush over.</p>
<p class="p1">The polar bears were so white. The toucans had the most beautiful blue eyes. The porcupines looked so cuddly (Blake steadfastly disagreed). The panthers moved like ninjas. The elephants were so calm. The tigers had gorgeous colors. The gorillas could eat an orange better than any human.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang viewed every animal with the wonderment of a small child; Blake couldn't help but to get caught up in some of that excitement, as well.</p>
<p class="p1">And she was noticing fewer of the stares they were receiving because she was so caught up in the marvel that was Yang Xiao Long. She was only reminded when someone would approach Yang and ask for a picture or an autograph. Yang always obliged, and then some, usually striking up an effortless conversation about how their day was going or what their favorite animal was.</p>
<p class="p1">And she introduced Blake - every single time.</p>
<p class="p1">The way in which Yang introduced her made her feel like a rock star. Enthusiasm would spill out of the blonde as she rapidly listed off a nearly complete list of the books Blake had written. It was as if Yang had been waiting for years to introduce Blake to them, relieved to finally be able to let it all gush out at once. And the way that Yang would look at her, eyes full of pride and admiration…unraveled Blake each and every time.</p>
<p class="p1">She found that many of the people approaching them had also read or at least heard of her books. Quite a few would ask for her autograph too, or for a picture with both of them.</p>
<p class="p1">While Blake might have usually found the nearly constant interruptions to be bothersome, with Yang around they were actually quite fun and pleasant. Yang was always able to make her fans laugh. And Blake could see what Yang meant by making someone's day as she watched giddiness oozing from the people as they waved their goodbyes. The actress was creating an experience for everyone around her - Blake included.</p>
<p class="p1">The only noticeable difference in Yang's personality when she was speaking to her fans was that she seemed to think a little longer before speaking, preventing any unfortunate comments from slipping out. But as soon as they would walk away, Yang was back to sticking her foot in her mouth. Blake found herself growing fonder of the unfiltered way in which Yang spoke to her. No matter how ridiculous, mundane, or embarrassing, if Yang thought it, it was going to spill from her lips a second later.</p>
<p class="p1">And as Blake watched Yang restrain herself in front of one person after another, she felt more and more…special. It reinforced the idea that Yang was being completely genuine with her. And the real Yang continued to embarrass herself at nearly every exhibit, much to Blake's personal enjoyment.</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, Yang seemed to have already found Blake's own weakness and would throw in suggestive comments here and there that would leave Blake red up to her ears while the blonde giggled incessantly.</p>
<p class="p1">Their time together was growing even more enjoyable, if that was possible.</p>
<p class="p1">Eventually, they decided to take a break, stopping to rest for a few minutes while sitting at a small table under a large blue and white umbrella. Blake was pulling apart the pretzel Yang had bought her, amusedly watching the blonde devour a tray of nachos as if they were the last few scraps of food on earth.</p>
<p class="p1">"You know, no one's going to try to take those from you," Blake said with a grin. "And I could get you some more if a bird does manage to swipe them from you."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang finished swallowing the chip that had been in her mouth before giving an embarrassed smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"I eat really fast when I'm nervous," she confessed honestly, before groaning and shoving her head in her hands when she realized what she had just admitted.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake giggled, thankful she wasn't the only one with some lingering nerves.</p>
<p class="p1">"I noticed by the way you demolished the lasagna last night. You probably could have eaten an entire pan of it before I finished my food," she teased lightly, drawing a laugh from the still red-faced girl.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, I totally could have!" she remarked semi-proudly as she gingerly picked up another chip and slowly, agonizingly slowly, placed it in her mouth.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake shook her head when Yang giggled.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well at that rate, the zoo will close before you finish."</p>
<p class="p1">"Then we could spent the night here together! Just you...me...and a handful of penguins," Yang said, wiggling her eyebrows before glancing at her watch for the time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Shoot! We have to get going!" she exclaimed, shoving another chip in her mouth as she shot up from the table, leaving Blake frozen there in surprise.</p>
<p class="p1">"What could we be late for? I didn't realize there were any time tables at the zoo," she remarked curiously, standing to follow Yang's lead regardless.</p>
<p class="p1">"It's a surpriseeee," Yang called in a sing-song voice as she led them away from the tables. "But we don't want to be late, so let's go!" As she said this, she grabbed ahold of one of Blake's hands and began dragging the dumbstruck girl through the winding pathways towards their destination.</p>
<p class="p1">Several minutes later, they were standing in front of a locked gate marked "employees only." There were no exhibits nearby, making it a curious place that Yang had brought her to so urgently. Blake's heart was still racing even though Yang had dropped her hand some time ago. Keeping her hand as still as possible, she imagined that she could still feel the warmth of Yang's fingers lingering there.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…this is…a locked door…" she commented slowly, wondering what it could be that Yang had in store for them at this location.</p>
<p class="p1">"Wait for it…" Yang said, checking her watch again. "She should be here any minute now."</p>
<p class="p1">"She?" Blake asked just as she heard the sound of jingling keys and boots headed quickly towards them.</p>
<p class="p1">"Sorry, I'm late!"</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them turned towards the origin of the voice, finding a girl around their age rushing their way, dressed in a light blue polo t-shirt and khaki shorts. As soon as the girl saw them, her eyes turned into saucers.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh…my…god…it <em>is</em> you!" the girl exclaimed as she stopped in front of them, gawking in disbelief.</p>
<p class="p1">"I know they told me that I was supposed to meet Yang Xiao Long here, but I thought that they were totally messing with me. Oh my god and I was late! I'm so, so sorry!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang chuckled as she looked towards Blake in amusement.</p>
<p class="p1">"It's ok, really. We've only been here for a minute or so," Yang replied nonchalantly.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good! Oh, we, yes," the girl said, finally turning to look at Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"Blake," she introduced herself when she had the girl's attention.</p>
<p class="p1">"Blake <em>Belladonna</em>," Yang elaborated, causing the girl's eyes to widen once more.</p>
<p class="p1">"The author?" she gasped, before sticking out her hand to shake both of their hands.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm sorry, I'm being incredibly rude. My name is Stacy; I'm a zookeeper here and will be taking you for a short behind the scenes experience today."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake turned to Yang in surprise while Stacy began fishing through her keys to open the gate in front of them. Yang merely grinned at her before Stacy swung the door open and gestured for them to go through.</p>
<p class="p1">Immediately on the other side of the door was a staircase which led down to yet another locked door. They descended the stairs and waited at the bottom while Stacy relocked the top gate and flew down the stairs to open the door to the building in front of them.</p>
<p class="p1">Inside the door was a hallway with a concrete floor and various pictures and children's artwork tacked to a corkboard on each wall. They followed Stacy down the hallway, through another door and down yet another staircase before they stepped back outside.</p>
<p class="p1">From what Blake could tell, they were now on the outer edge of the zoo. They were in a large open area that was hedged in by fencing that was at least fifteen feet tall.</p>
<p class="p1">Stacy grabbed a large plastic bucket filled to the brim with heads of lettuce as she headed to their right, gesturing again for Blake and Yang to follow her. She set the bucket down for a few seconds in order for her to unlock a massive gate and swung it out of their way.</p>
<p class="p1">When Blake walked through the gate, she let out a gasp at what she saw standing behind a chain link fence not twenty feet in front of her.</p>
<p class="p1">Two giraffes stood there, both pulling mouthfuls of hay from a feeder that was hanging on one side of the fence. As they walked closer, the creatures noticed their presence and looked up, straightening their necks out to full height while looking down towards them. Noticing the bucket in Stacy's hand, the creatures abandoned their hay and stretched their heads over the top of the fence as far as they could reach.</p>
<p class="p1">Stopping just six feet from the fence, they were now standing face to face with two giant giraffe heads, both animals sniffing towards the lettuce.</p>
<p class="p1">The only thing Blake could think was, wow. Just, wow.</p>
<p class="p1">"These are our two female giraffes, Zoey on the left and Clementine on the right," Stacy began as she sat the bucket down at their feet. "They're three years old, so already fully grown."</p>
<p class="p1">"How tall are they?" Yang asked curiously. Blake turned to see that the blonde was just as captivated as she was with the animals towering above them.</p>
<p class="p1">"They're nearly 16 feet tall," Stacy answered, pulling two heads of lettuce out of the bucket and handing one to each of them. "Go ahead and pull off some pieces and feed it to them!" Stacy took the first piece of lettuce and held it out towards Clementine, whose tongue rolled out to wrap around the produce and pull it back into her mouth.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake and Yang followed Stacy's example, with Blake continuing to feed Clementine while Yang attracted Zoey's attention. Blake held out the first piece of lettuce hesitantly, but smiled when Clementine stretched her neck as far over the fence as possible to reach the lettuce in her hand. The dark grey tongue reached out and wrapped lithely around the leaf of green before tugging it forcefully from her fingers. Clementine huffed in appreciation while she lazily chewed on the lettuce tucked in her cheek, a gust of warm air washing over Blake. Before she had even finished chewing the first piece, Clementine was reaching out again, asking for more.</p>
<p class="p1">Hearing Yang giggle, Blake glanced to her left just as Yang looked towards her, exhilaration lighting up her lilac eyes while Zoey happily chewed her lettuce. When Yang was looking away, Zoey stuck her tongue back out as far as it could reach, nearly brushing Yang's cheek. Blake nodded towards the giraffe, causing Yang to turn and yelp when she almost got a mouthful of giraffe slobber.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake and Stacy laughed as Yang took a tiny step backwards and placed another leaf of lettuce within Zoey's reach and Blake turned back to Clementine.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah…you have to be careful. They like to lick faces," Stacy commented, happily watching her charges interact with her guests.</p>
<p class="p1">The creatures were giant. The length of Clementine's head alone was probably half of Blake's own height. Her dark brown eyes were shiny like polished marble, peering out from beneath extraordinarily long lashes. Her head swung with a smoothness that seemed impossible for an animal of this size, but Blake had little doubt that the force behind the simple movement was enough to knock her right off of her feet.</p>
<p class="p1">A thumping noise suddenly caught everyone's attention, with Zoey and Clementine raising their heads and looking back over their shoulders. A third giraffe, even <em>bigger</em> than the two girls, came into view and stepped lazily up to the fence, each step of a hoof causing an audible thump against the concrete ground. Zoey and Clementine shuffled to the side slightly when the new giraffe walked in between them, making the tallest animals Blake had ever seen suddenly look noticeably smaller. Sticking its head over the fence, Blake and Yang took several steps backwards as the creature's head reached several feet further than the other two.</p>
<p class="p1">"And this is Daniel," Stacy said, introducing the third creature in front of them. "He's our only male giraffe, standing over 19 feet tall."</p>
<p class="p1">"Woah," Yang said before letting out a low whistle of appreciation. Blake could only nod her head in agreement as they viewed the massive creatures in front of them. She found herself suddenly gaining an understanding of just how small and insignificant she was compared to other creatures inhabiting this planet with her.</p>
<p class="p1">Stacy reached into the bucket, pulled out another head of lettuce and began feeding Daniel.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are they supposed to eat this much lettuce?" Blake asked.</p>
<p class="p1">"They're such big creatures, they could eat lettuce for the entire day and still lose weight," Stacy answered.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed. "Jeez, I wish I could do that!"</p>
<p class="p1">"You'd want to eat lettuce all day?" Blake asked with a smirk, knowing that's not what the blonde was referring to, but wanting to provoke her a little bit.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, no!" Yang took the bait, shaking her head vigorously. "Not with lettuce! Maybe like…burritos or hamburgers or something…"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake and Stacy both chuckled at the girl's choice of foods, both of which were highly unconducive to the shape Yang was currently in.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, that would be nice. You'd never have to go to the gym then!" Stacy agreed, causing Yang to shoot her a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"Exactly! It would also be awesome to have a tongue like the…irs…" Yang trailed off, biting her lip but not before letting the entire sentence slip out.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake flushed bright red as she guessed what Yang might be hinting at.</p>
<p class="p1">"Why?" Stacy asked innocently, causing both Blake and Yang to turn even redder. Blake stared forward at Clementine, trying to avoid making eye contact with either girl. Yang was on her own with this one; there was nothing that Blake could do to help her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…well…I…uh…" Yang coughed as she struggled to think of a good, non-sexual reason to explain her comment.</p>
<p class="p1">Stacy caught on before Yang came up with anything though, clearing her throat as she picked up the now empty bucket at their feet.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…so now that we're out of lettuce, let's take a picture!" she said as she placed the empty bucket off to the side. "You two can stand right there, but turn around and face me."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake and Yang did as instructed, with Blake grinning when she saw how red Yang still was. Stacy pulled a camera out of a bag that Blake had failed to notice before, since it was tucked into the small doorway nearby.</p>
<p class="p1">While the zookeeper fiddled with the device, Yang took a step closer to Blake so that they were now standing shoulder to shoulder. In one fluid motion, Blake felt the weight of Yang's arm come down around her shoulders, tugging her an inch closer to the blonde.</p>
<p class="p1">"Smooth," Blake whispered wryly, though she made no attempt to move away from the girl.</p>
<p class="p1">"I can be," Yang replied, causing Blake to let out a small snort of laughter.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, when you're not saying how badly you want a giraffe's tongue," she retorted as they focused their attention forwards when Stacy held the camera in front of her eye.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, ready?" the girl called while she lined up the viewfinder. "Say cheese!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake and Yang smiled as the camera clicked and Stacy turned her attention to the screen to see how it turned out. "Shoot, Daniel looked away," she mumbled softly, whistling to try to gain the giraffes' attention.</p>
<p class="p1">"You know you love it though," Yang boasted quietly while they waited, continuing where their conversation had left off.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake didn't respond as Stacy signaled that she was going to take another one.</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe she <em>did</em> love it.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake's smile widened when an idea sprang into her mind. As soon as Stacy raised the camera up to eye level, Blake slipped one arm around Yang's waist, pulling the girl even closer to her side.</p>
<p class="p1">"Say cheese!"</p>
<p class="p1">"Ch-cheese!" Yang spit out, making Blake nearly burst out laughing.</p>
<p class="p1">Stacy smiled when she looked at the camera before walking over to them. Blake dropped her arm from Yang's waist when she felt the blonde's arm disappear from her shoulders. Yang gave her a sheepish smile as Stacy held the camera out towards them.</p>
<p class="p1">"It's really good!"</p>
<p class="p1">They both leaned in to look at the small screen on the back of the camera.</p>
<p class="p1">The picture had turned out extremely well. The three giraffes were standing, heads held at their full height as they all, miraculously, looked towards the camera. Blake and Yang stood beneath the towering creatures with huge smiles on both of their faces, although Yang looked rather shocked and happy at the same time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Why do you look so surprised in this picture, Yang?" Blake teased the girl.</p>
<p class="p1">"Because! Someone startled me!" was all she could sputter in response while Blake laughed.</p>
<p class="p1">"You two are cute together," Stacy stated, causing both of them to look over in surprise to find her looking at them observantly.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake was pretty sure that her face was now warm enough to cook on as she looked away in embarrassment while Yang chuckled.</p>
<p class="p1">"She provides all the cute, I just bring us together," Yang commented smoothly, blissfully unaware of the way the compliment sent Blake's heart to the moon and back. The words weren't forced or planned out. They flowed freely as Yang thought of them.</p>
<p class="p1">When Blake looked back up at Stacy, the girl gave her a warm smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'll email the picture to you and you can forward it to Blake?" she directed towards Yang, who nodded her head.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, if Blake will ever give me her email address!" she replied with a giggle. Blake realized that the girl actually didn't have her email address yet, only her phone number.</p>
<p class="p1">"All you have to do is ask," Blake said as they began following Stacy back the way they had come, taking one last look back towards the giraffes who were walking away now that the good food was gone.</p>
<p class="p1">"Really?" Yang asked mischievously. "And what else does asking work for?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled back demurely.</p>
<p class="p1">"You'll just have to ask and find out, won't you?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed, accepting Blake's response.</p>
<p class="p1">Stacy showed them around the giraffe barn, where the creatures were allowed to sleep at night if they wanted. She also explained to them how the gates worked within the barn to help shift the giraffes in and out one at a time. It sounded incredibly complicated to Blake, who was thankful she wasn't in charge of herding thousand pound beasts.</p>
<p class="p1">They had then ascended the same staircase they had come down what felt like only moments before, waiting patiently for Stacy to unlock and relock all of the doors as they passed through them.</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you so much for showing us around," Yang said politely as Stacy pulled at the last lock, ensuring that it was latched properly.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, you're welcome!" the young girl replied with a big smile for both of them. "It was really an honor to meet with both of you and I hope that you had a really good time meeting our giraffes."</p>
<p class="p1">"We really did," Blake answered for the both of them, with Yang nodding in agreement.</p>
<p class="p1">"I hope both of you have a great rest of your day," Stacy began as she started to back away from them. "I have to go prepare their evening diets so that they can eat dinner." With a wave, she turned around and set off at a rapid pace down the footpath, the sound of keys jangling floating through the air.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well," Blake said as she turned her attention back towards Yang. "That was really, really awesome."</p>
<p class="p1">A blinding smile lit up Yang's face at the comment.</p>
<p class="p1">"Wasn't it? They're so cool! My new favorite animal, hands down," she said rapidly as she bounced up and down from residual excitement - before her eyes widened as she remembered something.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh shoot! What time is it?"</p>
<p class="p1">She scrambled to pull out her phone to check the time, letting out a gasp when she saw the numbers displayed there.</p>
<p class="p1">"We have to get you back so you're not late for your dinner!" she proclaimed, holding the phone out for Blake to see.</p>
<p class="p1">How was it possible for time to pass so quickly when they were together?</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them set off at a brisk walk towards the exit of the zoo. Blake was surprised to find that Yang seemed to know the way out without even consulting the map, which was impressive because she found that she had gotten incredibly turned around while they had been inside.</p>
<p class="p1">In a matter of minutes, the front gates were within their sights, right next to the small building that housed the gift shop.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang groaned when she saw the displays filled with stuffed animals hanging outside.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you think we have time?" she asked, turning pleading eyes towards Blake - who immediately agreed as her heart threatened to melt in her chest at the adorable sight.</p>
<p class="p1">"How about five minutes and we can each pick out something $10 or less for each other?" she suggested.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang's eyes sparkled with delight as she raced ahead into the store, shouting "deal!" behind her.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled as she followed the girl, eyes rapidly scanning the shelves once she had passed through the doors. She was pretty sure that Yang would like whatever Blake picked out for her, but that didn't mean that she didn't want it to be absolutely perfect. It would be the first 'gift' she'd give the girl, after all.</p>
<p class="p1">She smirked when she saw a few teenage girls approach Yang and ask for her autograph. This was the only time all day when she had seen Yang look flustered by the disruption. The blonde was at a serious disadvantage, Blake thought while she browsed the shelves interruption free.</p>
<p class="p1">After carefully deciding upon an item, Blake made her purchase at the front counter, making sure that Yang wasn't around to see what she had picked up. She then stepped outside to wait for her date to finish as well. She realized that she had never looked at the time before making this challenge, so didn't actually know if it had been five minutes or not.</p>
<p class="p1">However, as Yang came tumbling out of the store a minute later, her face crumpled in defeat when she looked at the time displayed on her phone.</p>
<p class="p1">"Six minutes…" she said in disappointment.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think I will allow it," Blake replied with an authoritative nod of her head, causing Yang to grin.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…do you want to see yours first?" Yang asked shyly as she clutched the light blue plastic bag in her hands.</p>
<p class="p1">"How about at the same time?" Blake suggested as she extended her own little blue bag.</p>
<p class="p1">They switched and then opened their bags in unison. Yang laughed happily when she pulled out the item Blake had purchased for her, while Blake chuckled when she saw what was in her own bag.</p>
<p class="p1">"This is so perfect." Yang said as she pulled on the plush beanie that looked like a penguin's head, complete with an extending beak.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled as Yang posed in her new headwear.</p>
<p class="p1">She looked really, really cute.</p>
<p class="p1">Diverting her eyes from the sight of Yang in her penguin hat, Blake pulled her own gift out of the plastic bag - a nice, velvety headband with two cat ears sticking out of the top.</p>
<p class="p1">"How do I look?" she asked, sticking them on her head and trying to give Yang a serious look, but finding the girl to be staring at her a little intently.</p>
<p class="p1">"Super adorable!" Yang finally exclaimed, stretching out one hand and giving the ears a little ruffle, sending a blush creeping up Blake's cheeks at the endearing gesture.</p>
<p class="p1">"You said the panthers were your favorite and this was the closest thing they had," Yang explained. "Who knew you would look so good in cat ears?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake couldn't help smiling at the sincere, albeit somewhat strange, compliment.</p>
<p class="p1">"Come on, I don't want to keep my publisher waiting any longer than absolutely necessary," she said.</p>
<p class="p1">They turned to continue their walk out of the zoo, neither moving to remove the silly accessories from their heads.</p>
<p class="p1">Now they were really getting stared at, but Blake could care less.</p>
<p class="p1">After reaching the car, Yang drove Blake back to her apartment building. The two of them chatted the entire time about the different animals they had seen, laughing over the funny things that had been witnessed (or said, in Yang's case).</p>
<p class="p1">It was only when Blake's building came into view did she realize that she was going to have to bid goodbye to the girl once more.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang pulled the car into the semi-circle drive, parking right in front this time since the sports car had disappeared. The blonde hopped out of the car again, but Blake had already beaten her to opening her own door so Yang merely escorted her inside the building.</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you for today," Blake said sincerely as they stood directly inside the lobby doors. "I had a lot of fun."</p>
<p class="p1">"You're welcome! I had a ton of fun too," Yang replied with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">The air that settled over them next was slightly uncomfortable, as Blake wondered what she should say now. If she didn't have to run off to dinner, she would probably have invited Yang up to her apartment for some coffee or tea. Maybe.</p>
<p class="p1">Thankfully, Yang didn't seem to be expecting any such invitation from her, looking slightly nervous as she cleared her own throat.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…could I see you again tomorrow?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake's heart immediately lifted at the question. She would love nothing more than to see the girl again tomorrow.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, but," she continued before Yang got too excited, "I get to choose the activity this time."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang nodded her head enthusiastically.</p>
<p class="p1">"Deal!"</p>
<p class="p1">The blonde wrapped Blake in a quick hug before she backed away with another wink.</p>
<p class="p1">"Just text me a time and place and I'll be there."</p>
<p class="p1">With that, Yang disappeared out of the lobby doors, leaving Blake rooted to the lobby floor in her wake.</p>
<p class="p1">Only the sound of her phone ringing in her pocket brought her out of her trance. Pulling it out, she groaned when she saw her publisher's name on the caller ID. Pressing the answer key, she held the device up to her ear as she hurried towards the elevator.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello? Yes, I'm on my way, sorry. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."</p>
<p class="p1">Reaching a hand up, she finally pulled off the cat ears, holding them carefully in her hands as she smiled down at them.</p>
<p class="p1">She needed to come up with a great idea for tomorrow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">After their date at the zoo (which went splendidly, in Yang's somewhat biased opinion), she spent the next morning anxiously waiting for a text from Blake telling her when and where to meet for their next date.</p>
<p class="p1">She had been beyond excited that Blake had agreed to see her <em>again</em> - ecstatic might be a better way to describe it, or thrilled, elated, etc...Yang was pretty sure that even Pyrrha would say that hanging out with her three days in a row was seriously pushing a normal person's limit.</p>
<p class="p1">That had actually been what Pyrrha had alluded to when Yang told her they would be seeing each other again today. It had been something along the lines of, "Are you sure you shouldn't give her a break for a day or two?"</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe Yang should give it a day before planning something, but there didn't seem to be much of a point when she <em>wanted</em> to see the author again - as soon as possible. The second they said their goodbyes to each other, Yang found herself counting down the minutes until she would see Blake next. What would be the point in prolonging that countdown any longer than necessary?</p>
<p class="p1">And with her sometimes crazy schedule, she never knew when she would get called out of town for work. It would be crushing if they 'took their time' and then were separated for a week by work commitments.</p>
<p class="p1">Plus, Blake had happily agreed to spend time with her again, so maybe the author felt somewhat the same way.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang could only hope that was true.</p>
<p class="p1">In her eager anticipation of Blake's text, she had refused to venture too far from her home. She cooked herself breakfast (checked her phone), went to the gym (checked her phone several times), caught up on her emails (on her phone), and watched some mid-morning talk shows (with her phone by her side)…and then, finally, her heart jumped in excitement when she heard her phone buzz when a new text message arrived.</p>
<p class="p1">"<em>Good morning! 3 p.m. – I'll meet you in front of your building. Casual/comfortable clothing."</em></p>
<p class="p1">Her mind began racing at the non-descriptive message - wondering what possible activity Blake could have planned for them today.</p>
<p class="p1">But at least now she had an exact time to look forward to. Looking at the clock, she let out a groan when she realized that she still had several hours until Blake would be there. Several long, painfully slow hours…</p>
<p class="p1">Since she had some time to kill, she decided to sit down at the computer and check out some of the books Blake had written. She had already pulled up the complete list the other day and memorized it. - she hadn't wanted to look uneducated in case Blake happened to mention any of them while they were at the zoo!</p>
<p class="p1">She had also read through the short descriptions, but that had only made her want to read everything that much more.</p>
<p class="p1">Opening up the internet, she found a good website and splurged - buying all of the books and sending them to her tablet. Once done, she went to retrieve the device from under several pillows on the sofa before flopping down and turning it on.</p>
<p class="p1">From what Yang had seen, Blake had written across multiple genres - romance, mystery, crime/thriller, and action adventure. The action adventure novels in particular were very popular. Even Yang was familiar with several of them.</p>
<p class="p1">After only a few seconds of deliberation, Yang decided to begin her journey with <em>Sunflower</em>, the story featuring Saranna. She really wanted to see why Blake's fans had almost unanimously agreed that Yang should play that part if that book was made into a movie.</p>
<p class="p1">She hadn't sat down to enjoy a book in a long time, finding that too many disruptions often presented themselves to her, but she was determined to get through as much of this as possible before getting ready for her date. Something about the fact that these words came from Blake's mind made Yang feel giddy with excitement as she began reading.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Sunflower</em> was narrated by the protagonist, a young girl by the name of Corrie. Self-described as quiet and shy, Yang amusedly determined that she was a true <em>wall</em>flower. Of course, no one was around to laugh at that pun but herself…</p>
<p class="p1">Corrie went to school with a girl named Saranna, who was, in Corrie's words, "as popular as sunshine after a month of rain." Saranna was loved by everyone and she seemed to love everyone in return. While she might have become popular due to her extraordinary beauty, she remained popular by her unflinchingly kind demeanor. She didn't act superior to anyone and was happy to be friends with everyone. She was the sunflower standing above a bed of weeds.</p>
<p class="p1">Saranna always greeted Corrie when they passed each other in the halls at school. She knew Corrie's name and used it frequently. She would always ask how Corrie's day was, if she had the time. She would even make small talk about the classes they shared together.</p>
<p class="p1">Corrie would respond as best she could, but was sure that her replies seemed curt and vaguely rude at best. She would usually end the interaction abruptly, rushing away with a blush on her cheeks.</p>
<p class="p1">She was far too shy to become close to such a magnetic person, but something about Saranna always drew her eye. Initially, Corrie wrote it off as a mild crush and refused to believe it was anything deeper. It wouldn't be that unheard of anyway since nearly half of the school had a crush on the girl.</p>
<p class="p1">But then, one day, Saranna began to change. It was so subtle, so imperceptible, no one else even seemed to notice. Saranna herself was acting the same, but there was definitely something different, something wrong. Corrie was the only one who could see it, but couldn't figure out what could possibly be wrong.</p>
<p class="p1">Just as she was getting to the best part of the story, Yang's eyes slipped over the top of the screen to the clock hanging on the wall above the television. She yelped in shock as she jumped off the sofa, throwing the tablet down before running to her room.</p>
<p class="p1">She was going to be late!</p>
<p class="p1">She pulled out the first pieces of clothing that looked like they even slightly went together and threw them on. Checking her reflection, she gave herself a 'B' before rushing back into the living room to try to locate her wallet and keys.</p>
<p class="p1">Finding them underneath a random stack of papers on the island in the kitchen, she grabbed the items and flew out the door, nearly forgetting to lock it on her way out. An unusually long elevator ride later, she was racing through the lobby, sparing a glance at her phone to check the time as she shoved open the front doors.</p>
<p class="p1">As her momentum carried her outside, she let out a small cry of surprise when she narrowly avoided colliding into Blake, who had been just about to enter the building.</p>
<p class="p1">She could feel her cheeks heating up as she straightened up, attempting to collect herself and appear somewhat poised and presentable.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…hello! Sorry, I didn't see you there," she said, trying to brush over her obvious lateness. Well, technically she had been <em>right</em> on time...but just barely.</p>
<p class="p1">The adorable smirk Blake gave her said that she knew exactly why Yang had exploded out of the building in such a hurry. Thankfully, the author didn't comment on the incident.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello," she responded instead. "How has your day been so far?"</p>
<p class="p1">As she asked the question, Blake gestured towards the sidewalk and began walking, intending for Yang to follow. Right when she began to follow, Yang heard her phone start ringing in her pocket. Pulling it out of her pocket, she glanced at the name and instantly silenced it.</p>
<p class="p1">"Just my agent." Yang said as she fell in step with her date, not even bothering to ask where they were going or why they were walking there.</p>
<p class="p1">"My day has been great so far. I did some errands, caught up on my emails, and…"</p>
<p class="p1">She abruptly cut off the end of her sentence as panic began to set in. She had been about to say that she had been reading, which of course would make Blake ask what it was Yang had been reading. Could she think of another plausible title? Did she even have to?</p>
<p class="p1">She wasn't sure how Blake would feel knowing that Yang was reading her book! She didn't think she would have any problem with Blake watching her movies…actually, she had never even asked if Blake <em>had </em>seen them. Actually, she had just kind of…assumed that Blake had seen them…which now made her feel like a horribly arrogant person. Blake could have seen all of them, or…none of them.</p>
<p class="p1">She couldn't decide which one of those made her feel worse.</p>
<p class="p1">"And you…?" Blake pressed, jarring Yang from her internal turmoil.</p>
<p class="p1">Well, the truth was <em>almost</em> always better than a lie…</p>
<p class="p1">"And I started reading one of your books…" she finally admitted, ducking her head in shame.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh really? Which one?" Blake asked without breaking a stride.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang looked towards her in an effort to gauge her reaction, shocked that her admission hadn't triggered a bigger reaction than that.</p>
<p class="p1">"Is that ok? I realize that I should have asked first -" she began until Blake cut her off with a wave of her hand.</p>
<p class="p1">"Of course it's ok," Blake replied casually. "I've seen your movies, after all. Why would it be ok for me to watch those and not for you to read my books?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…I don't know…invasion of privacy?" she suggested lamely, realizing that her concerns may have been over exaggerated when Blake laughed.</p>
<p class="p1">"I wrote them with the intent of other people reading them, actually," the girl replied, shooting Yang a sly grin.</p>
<p class="p1">She grinned in return, which slowly faded when the words Blake had just said finally sank in.</p>
<p class="p1">"W-wait…you've watched my movies?"</p>
<p class="p1">Just seconds earlier, Yang had thought she wouldn't blink twice at Blake watching her films. But now…knowing definitively that Blake <em>had</em> watched them, Yang felt her stomach begin to churn with nerves while her mind buzzed with questions.</p>
<p class="p1">What had Blake thought of them? Had she liked them? What did Blake think of <em>her</em> in the films? Of her roles?</p>
<p class="p1">"I doubt I've seen <em>all</em> of them - I imagine that list would be pretty long. But I have seen the <em>Dust Chronicles</em>," Blake helpfully elaborated for her.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang could feel her questions beginning to burn on her tongue, desperately trying to escape. But she was also quite nervous about what her date's potential answers could be.</p>
<p class="p1">"What did you think of them?" she finally asked, not able to hold it in any longer.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake turned to her with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"They were very…entertaining."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang initially grinned at the response. Entertaining was good…right? But did she mean 'entertaining' like something bad you turn on to laugh at with your friends?</p>
<p class="p1">"So…which book did you start?" Blake continued while Yang's mind reeled with more questions than she had had thirty seconds ago.</p>
<p class="p1">Accepting that she was not going to get the answers to all of her questions right now, she decided that she could at least answer some of Blake's.</p>
<p class="p1">"I started <em>Sunflower</em>."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang took Blake's nod of appreciation as permission to give her thoughts on the book so far.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think that Corrie is super cute! She's all timid, but she's actually looking out for Saranna in a way that no one else is."</p>
<p class="p1">"That's an interesting way to look at it…most people just think she's a little obsessive."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah…well she is a little bit. But her heart is in the right place."</p>
<p class="p1">"Speaking of being in the right place," Blake said as she suddenly stopped walking. "So are we."</p>
<p class="p1">Blinking, Yang looked around her in confusion. She hadn't been paying very close attention to where they had been going, trusting that Blake would lead them the right way. Now, they were standing outside a giant, ugly square building that she must have passed a thousand times when she drove to the set for work. She glanced up at the giant sign that was placed above the front doors, craning her neck to get a better view.</p>
<p class="p1">"Laser X?" she cried out in surprise.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yup," Blake replied with a grin, pulling open the front door and holding it for Yang.</p>
<p class="p1">"I hope you've got good aim."</p>
<p class="p1">"Psh…if you've seen my movies, you know I have impeccable aim," Yang boasted jokingly as she walking into the building, immediately cringing at how conceited her comment came out.</p>
<p class="p1">She paused directly inside the doors while allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The inside of the building was massive, with the ceiling seeming to be exceptionally far away at two-three stories tall. There were various arcade games filling the floor around them, each lit up with neon lights and emitting all kinds of loud noises. On the opposite side of the room directly in front of them stood a counter that was set up to look like the command station on a spaceship. Several employees were standing there helping customers. To their right, a dark brown staircase was leading up to a grey hatch door with the word 'briefing' placed directly above in fluorescent orange letters. A line of people were standing on the stairs as they waited for an employee to scan their tickets and allow them to enter the room beyond.</p>
<p class="p1">"This…is…so…cool!" Yang finally exclaimed as she took in all of the sights and sounds around her, feeling her brain bursting with sensory overload.</p>
<p class="p1">She hadn't played laser tag in <em>years</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">"So, this is acceptable?" Blake asked from her side.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you kidding me? This is <em>awesome!</em>" she replied happily, gesturing towards the arcade games as if those alone should clue Blake in as to how awesome the place was.</p>
<p class="p1">Turning back to Blake, she found that the girl had a smile on her face, clearly pleased that her idea was being well received. Yang couldn't help but to smile dumbly back for several seconds, lost in appreciation for the thought Blake had actually put behind their day. She honestly couldn't remember the last time someone had put any amount of effort into something like this for her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…if you're ready, let's go sign up for some games so we can see who's <em>actually</em> the better shot here," Blake replied with a smirk, breaking their smiling contest in favor of heading across the floor towards the counter.</p>
<p class="p1">Oh, how she loved a good competition.</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them signed up for the next game and were told that they would have to wait about fifteen minutes before they would be called to the briefing room. They decided that the best way to pass their time would be to play some arcade games. Several failed attempts at downhill skiing later, they finally heard their call sign come out of the loudspeakers.</p>
<p class="p1">"Green team, please report to the briefing room to collect your mission. Green team, to the briefing room."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake's ears immediately perked up.</p>
<p class="p1">"That's us," she said as Yang abandoned her skier, letting him coast aimlessly down the slopes.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes! Ready to eat your words, Belladonna?" she teased while they walked towards the staircase in the corner of the building.</p>
<p class="p1">The author merely scoffed at the comment.</p>
<p class="p1">"Who's going to make me eat them? Myself?"</p>
<p class="p1">"N-no! I am, of course!" Yang replied as they climbed to the top of the staircase, pulling out their receipts to be scanned by the employee standing by the door.</p>
<p class="p1">"And how do you plan on doing that?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang's mind instantly drifted to the thought of feeding Blake with her hands, effectively chasing away any hope of a good comeback on her part.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…by…"</p>
<p class="p1">Mercifully, Blake started laughing, freeing her from her miserable attempt at having a witty conversation.</p>
<p class="p1">"If your aim is anywhere near as good as your ability to make a comeback, I've got this in the bag," the author teased happily.</p>
<p class="p1">Reaching the top of the staircase, the employee's eyes opened wide when he saw Yang, jaw dropping open as she handed over her ticket. The young boy scanned it without even looking down, not uttering a single word. She shrugged her shoulders at Blake and headed inside - that certainly wasn't the first time she had been gawked at, and definitely wouldn't be the last.</p>
<p class="p1">The briefing room was actually just a small square room with two raised rows to sit on. It was darker in here than the main building, with UV lights casting a purple glow over everything. She picked a spot in the back corner of the room on the top row to sit, where Blake joined her several seconds later.</p>
<p class="p1">The room steadily filled with more and more players in a variety of different ages, ranging from little kids to grown ups. The ones who noticed Yang did a double take when they saw her, but were polite enough to turn away and whisper excitedly to their friends instead of staring. Once the last call for players had sounded, the boy at the door pulled the 'hatch' closed, plunging the room into silence as the ambient noise from outside was cut out.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, welcome to Laser X," he said, taking his place in the front of the room, eyes flitting to Yang every other second. "I'm sure some of you have played before, but there are a few ground rules that need to be followed. No running…no hiding your sensors…and no contact."</p>
<p class="p1">"In just a few minutes, we'll divide into two teams and go get your equipment. You will each have a vest with an attached gun."</p>
<p class="p1">The boy held up a sample vest and gun and strapped it onto himself in demonstration.</p>
<p class="p1">"Strap yourself in at the waist with the buckle. Pull the strap to tighten. The lighted areas are your sensors – where other players will shoot to score points. Once you're hit, your gun will make this noise…"</p>
<p class="p1">A rather sad electronic noise sounded from the gun as he held it up.</p>
<p class="p1">"When you hear that, you won't be able to shoot for three seconds. Find cover and then your gun will turn back on. Any questions?"</p>
<p class="p1">Everyone in the room shook their heads after the boy's whirlwind of instructions.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good! Let's divide the group into two teams right…here," he said pointing to a spot in the middle of the room that would determine which team they were on.</p>
<p class="p1">"The group on the left will be red – the right will be green. Now follow me and let's get suited up."</p>
<p class="p1">Everyone began talking again as they stood to follow the boy through another door, this time into a room with rows and rows of vests hanging upon rods sticking out of the walls. The guns were stuck into holsters attached to the walls underneath each vest.</p>
<p class="p1">"I guess that we'll have to prove our skills while playing on the same team," Yang commented as she picked up the first green vest she came across – number 17.</p>
<p class="p1">"I don't see that being a problem at all," Blake replied while picking up the vest next to Yang's and pulled it over her head. Grabbing the giant plastic gun from the hostler on the wall, she held it up in front of her chest.</p>
<p class="p1">"How do I look?"</p>
<p class="p1">She jumped on the chance to check out her date, staring at the girl for probably a few seconds too long.</p>
<p class="p1">But seriously, how was it even possible to make a laser tag outfit look that good?</p>
<p class="p1">"You look really, <em>really</em> great," she finally answered honestly. Blake obviously hadn't been expecting that answer from the way she turned her eyes away in modesty, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.</p>
<p class="p1">"Alright! Form two lines in front of these doors – we'll be starting in a minute!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake and Yang walked up to the line of fellow green players standing behind the green door, located directly beside the red door. A flashing red light located on the ceiling began to go off as a silent countdown began.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hey…so…want to stick together?" she whispered to Blake while they prepared themselves for the doors to open.</p>
<p class="p1">"Absolutely…if only so you can see what real skill looks like."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang turned all the way around to find the girl smirking back at her. As she opened her mouth to retort, a loud alarm sounded while the two doors hissed open simultaneously. She decided to save it for later, turning back around to follow the rush of players out the doors.</p>
<p class="p1">Inside the arena was dark and full of randomly placed walls and barrels. The entire structure was actually two stories tall and they were entering on the second level. Two long ramps were located on opposite sides of the building granting access to the floor below - which was covered in a thick layer of fog that created an even more spooky atmosphere.</p>
<p class="p1">She could hear the sound of the red team running off to their left, separated by a solid wall that forced the teams to move in opposite directions. The entire place was eerily quiet, with only the sounds of running feet filling the air.</p>
<p class="p1">"I thought we weren't supposed to run?" Yang asked in confusion when Blake appeared by her side, watching their own teammates tear off towards the ramp leading downstairs.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh Yang…" Blake replied, shaking her head in mock wonder at Yang's laser tag innocence. "They always say not to run."</p>
<p class="p1">With a grin, the author set off at a quick jog after their team - and Yang didn't think twice before setting off after her partner.</p>
<p class="p1">Just then, noises erupted everywhere as the game officially began and their weapons came to life. Loud music filled the arena while beams of red light flew in every direction - the players shooting towards anything that moved.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake ducked down behind a short wall when several red lights flashed her way. Yang slid to a stop beside her.</p>
<p class="p1">"What's the plan, Belladonna?" she asked in a yell as more members of their team raced past.</p>
<p class="p1">"Survive," Blake replied plainly before standing and firing towards a group of red players across the room.</p>
<p class="p1">She laughed Blake's serious demeanor, standing and firing in the same direction.</p>
<p class="p1">"Don't worry, partner, I've got your back," she replied just as seriously.</p>
<p class="p1">Her vest vibrated as soon as the words left her mouth, with Blake's flashing an instant later. Turning around, they saw two red vests disappear around a corner.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake raised an eyebrow at her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…sorry…"</p>
<p class="p1">She gave Blake a sheepish smile, praying for forgiveness.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake just giggled as she stood up and gestured for Yang to follow her, before tearing off in another direction. Crouching down behind another low wall, the two were now in a good location to pop out and surprise unsuspecting players.</p>
<p class="p1">"Peek out and see if anyone's around," Blake whispered to her as the two of them hunkered down behind their cover.</p>
<p class="p1">"Me?" Yang's voice squeaked in protest. "Why me?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Because last time you let us get shot in the back!" Blake pointed out to her.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang sighed and nodded her head apologetically. Yes, that had happened…twenty seconds ago.</p>
<p class="p1">She slowly straightened from her crouch, poking her head just above the wall to see if she could spot anything. Her vest immediately began flashing while the death noise playing through her gun.</p>
<p class="p1">Groaning, she collapsed onto the floor, clutching her shoulder sensor in pain.</p>
<p class="p1">"They…got me…Blake," she wheezed painfully.</p>
<p class="p1">Concern filled Blake's eyes, causing her to set down her own gun in order to kneel forward towards Yang's shoulder.</p>
<p class="p1">"Let me take a look," she said firmly.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang lifted her hand for a few seconds, feeling her heart start pounding when Blake leaned close to take a look at her 'injury.' From this distance, she could smell the girl's shampoo wafting through the air. She dropped her hand back down onto the wound when Blake leaned back, eyes filled with sorrow.</p>
<p class="p1">"It…doesn't look good…" the girl replied remorsefully. "I…I don't think you're going to make it…"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang almost burst into laughter at Blake's blunt, anti-encouraging comment, but somehow managed to keep a straight face.</p>
<p class="p1">"Will you…stay with me…?" she asked, throwing a few raspy coughs in at the end of her question for good measure.</p>
<p class="p1">"Of course I'll stay," Blake responded, smiling at her sadly.</p>
<p class="p1">Then, Blake did something Yang hadn't expected – she reached down and gently grabbed ahold of her free hand, while gazing tenderly into her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">Her heart rate doubled at the contact, savoring the feeling the girl's soft fingers intertwined with her own. For a few short seconds, she became lost in those amber eyes, finding everything she ever needed within them.</p>
<p class="p1">It took Blake's vest buzzing to bring them both out of their moment, a red player sprinting off behind them after tagging the girl. Yang flushed, grateful that it was dark, when Blake released her hand and picked up her gun from the ground.</p>
<p class="p1">"We should probably head out," the girl said with a smile, pushing herself to her feet.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang nodded her head as she followed suit, grateful for a distraction from what had just transpired.</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them ran around together for the next fifteen minutes, rolling and diving behind cover just like little kids. They yelled out complicated strategic orders to each other, as if they were in an actual battle.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake was actually surprisingly good at the game, able to blend into the shadows easily. Yang's more…heads on approach…got her shot an awful lot, but she usually managed to tag a few players in the process. By the end of the game, when their guns automatically shut off while echoing 'game over' loudly, Yang had completely forgotten that she had been trying to prove she was a better player than Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"Remember your vest number," Blake reminded her as they returned their vests to the racks and trudged back into the main lobby. Yang nodded her head, remembering the number 17 as they walked into the main room. Placed directly in front of them was a gigantic television screen depicting the scores from the prior game.</p>
<p class="p1">"There I am!" Yang pointed when she found "Green 17" listed on the board near the middle of the list. "Hey, I actually didn't do as badly as I thought."</p>
<p class="p1">A second later, she picked out Blake's score, three places higher than hers. She laughed while Blake smirked at her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, ok, you might have been better than <em>me</em>, but it looks like both of us kind of suck," she replied jokingly.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake laughed at Yang's honest assessment of their laser tag skills.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you want to play again?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Absolutely."</p>
<p class="p1">The building was a lot busier than it had been when they had entered their game moments earlier. From the influx of small children, it looked like several birthday parties were just beginning. This time, they actually had to wait in line for a few minutes before they could purchase their passes into the next available game.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…more arcade games?" Yang asked when they turned away from the desk, receiving Blake's nod of approval.</p>
<p class="p1">"Any in particular you want to play?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake pointed towards a big screen nearby, complete with two large machine guns mounted to the front of it.</p>
<p class="p1">"Alien's Revenge?" Yang read the title from the top of the machine, raising one eyebrow in surprise.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes…unless you're too scared I'll beat you," Blake replied with a smirk.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang immediately pulled some quarters out of her pocket and strode over to the machine.</p>
<p class="p1">"Bring it on."</p>
<p class="p1">They played Alien's Revenge for the next few minutes, drawing quite the crowd to watch them play.</p>
<p class="p1">"Blue team, please report to the briefing room. Blue team, to the briefing room."</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank god," Yang said in relief as she happily released her gun. "I swear, Blake. We've been playing this for like fifteen minutes now and are still awful at it."</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, maybe <em>one</em> of us is still awful…" Blake began, but Yang cut her off with a laugh while pointing to the screen as proof.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, ok, we're both pretty bad," Blake agreed with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">Just then, a stampede of tiny feet could be heard racing by them towards the staircase leading towards the briefing room. Blake and Yang both stared as they watched over a dozen children race up the steps towards the employee at the top.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…how do you feel about kids, Blake?" she asked while staring at the crowd of small children.</p>
<p class="p1">"How do I feel about <em>having</em> them, or about <em>playing</em> against them?"</p>
<p class="p1">The tips of Yang's ears instantly caught on fire when she realized how her question could be construed.</p>
<p class="p1">"Playing them!" she blurted out abruptly while her cheeks attempted their best tomato impression. "Not that I wouldn't want to know how you felt about having them…but way in the future! I mean…not <em>that</em> far in the future – not that I'm assuming there will be a future or anything!"</p>
<p class="p1">She sighed and buried her face in her hands, only lifting her eyes when she heard giggling beside her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, to answer both of your questions - I don't mind playing them, and I would probably love to have them."</p>
<p class="p1">"…in the future," the girl added playfully.</p>
<p class="p1">It probably wasn't physically possible to grin any larger than Yang did right then.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, let's go then!" she said, motioning for Blake to follow her towards the stairs.</p>
<p class="p1">Once they walked into the briefing room, they found that it was already packed with the children. They sat down in the only available space for two, dead center in the front row, as the employee closed the hatch behind them.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok, now we're going to divide into two teams…" he said after retelling his instructions nearly word for word. Carefully counting the people in the room, he put his hand to his chin thoughtfully.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…we're going to have to have one of you move over to the other team," he directed towards the group of young boys on the right side of the room, who immediately began squabbling over who should be separated from the party.</p>
<p class="p1">"We'll split up, if you need."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang looked over in dismay when she heard Blake's offer, just in time to catch the girl's wink.</p>
<p class="p1">"It might be kind of fun to shoot <em>at </em>you this time."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang could only chuckle in response.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, ok, split us up!" she told the employee.</p>
<p class="p1">"Alright…you can go on the red team," he said as he pointed towards Yang. "And you can be on green," he finished with a gesture towards Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang beamed as she turned towards her teammates, finding many little eyes trained upon her - most growing wide in recognition.</p>
<p class="p1">"Alright Team Yangarang!" she called out to them happily as they stood to head into the equipment room. "We're going to destroy the green team, right?"</p>
<p class="p1">Her new little minions cheered in response, rushing forward to grab their vests and guns.</p>
<p class="p1">She grinned at Blake while she pulled on her own vest and strapped herself in.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ready to lose?" she joked, making Blake scoff.</p>
<p class="p1">"Please…have you seen my team? They're pros, all of them."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang glanced at all of their teammates, most of them only reaching up to their hips in height. Still, she was confident that she had the better team.</p>
<p class="p1">"Care to make it interesting?"</p>
<p class="p1">She loved the way Blake's eyebrow arched in intrigue.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm listening."</p>
<p class="p1">"Loser buys dinner?" Yang suggested, the first thing that came to mind.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake nodded as she held her gun up to her chest in both hands, once again looking like an ultra attractive laser tag player.</p>
<p class="p1">"Deal."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang grinned and turned back to the red team. Honestly, she could care less who won or lost. The best part about the wager was that she had now secured dinner with Blake, which was a win in her mind regardless of who was paying.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok team," she said, kneeling down in front of all the children wearing red, "our strategy is to win and…win…by any means necessary!"</p>
<p class="p1">The kids all cheered at her less than inspiring speech. Turning around, Yang found Blake having a similar powwow with her own team. Although…it seemed to be much more serious and in depth than the one Yang had just had…</p>
<p class="p1">The red light began flashing – calling them all to line up in front of their doors. Yang glanced over just in time to catch Blake staring at her. She smirked.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think I'd like some Mexican food tonight," she teased.</p>
<p class="p1">"In your dreams," Blake replied playfully as the doors hissed open and everyone rushed into the arena.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang wasted no time by the door this time, racing away as quickly as she could, watching her teammates fan out in all directions. She glanced towards the members of the green team, but couldn't spot Blake anywhere. Less than a minute later, the game went live as their vests and guns became active.</p>
<p class="p1">This game was very different from the last one since the kids ran around like crazy, screaming and shouting when they were hit. Yang quickly found that she needed to be more careful when running in order to avoid colliding with one of the small children. Still, she hurried around the arena at a frenzied pace, keeping her eyes peeled for a certain beautiful girl with black hair and amber eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">But after several minutes, she still couldn't catch a glimpse of Blake anywhere. Where had the ninja disappeared to?</p>
<p class="p1">While racing around the maze downstairs, Yang's attention fell upon a little girl on the opposite team crouching behind a tall wall in fear. Immediately suspending the search for her date, she went over to check on the poor child.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hey," she whispered as she knelt down on the ground beside her. "Are you ok?"</p>
<p class="p1">The girl looked at her, wide eyes brimming with tears as she nodded her head rapidly in what was clearly a lie.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you scared?" Yang asked, trying to prod a tiny bit.</p>
<p class="p1">The little girl thought for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head 'no.'</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm really b-bad," the girl finally wailed, voice wavering on the edge of tears.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, that's ok though," Yang quickly replied, patting the girl gently on the shoulder as she sat her gun down on the floor. "You're not bad! Hey, I even heard that you shot Yang Xiao Long <em>several</em> times!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang leaned backwards and pointed towards the circle of red lights glowing on her chest. After a few seconds, the confused expression lifted from the little girl's face when she finally grasped what Yang was telling her to do. She raised her gun, which seemed comically large in her tiny hands, and squeezed the trigger when it was pointed directly at Yang's chest.</p>
<p class="p1">An electrical noise sounded while Yang's vest flashed rapidly, indicating that she had been hit.</p>
<p class="p1">She laughed when the girl smiled happily.</p>
<p class="p1">"See? You're not bad at all. Want to shoot me again?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang allowed the younger girl to shoot her as soon as her vest came back to life, chuckling at the joyful expression on the girl's face. That was, until she heard the buzzer indicating that there was only a few minutes remaining in the game – and she had yet to even spot Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hey, want to help me with something?" she suddenly asked, earning a quick nod from her new compatriot.</p>
<p class="p1">"Great. I'm going to boost you up to look over this wall. Can you try to find the girl that I was with earlier? The only one above four feet tall?"</p>
<p class="p1">Receiving an enthusiastic nod in return, she allowed the small girl to clamber on her back as she held her steady to look over the wall. Several seconds later, she heard a squeal of success.</p>
<p class="p1">"She just ducked into that corner over there!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang sat the child carefully on the ground before peeking around the corner in the direction the girl pointed. She gave her new friend a quick salute before racing off towards the new maze of walls, slowing down as she passed through them.</p>
<p class="p1">If Blake had just come through here, she had to be nearby…</p>
<p class="p1">A hand suddenly wrapped around her mouth, stifling her scream as she was pushed into the nearest wall face first.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you ready to surrender?" a silky voice whispered in her ear.</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Yes, I am 100%, positively, absolutely ready to surrender to that voice</em>, Yang thought.</p>
<p class="p1">Thankfully, she had just a <em>tiny</em> bit more pride than to try to say that aloud. Although...she <em>was</em> currently the one shoved into a wall with a hand covering her mouth...so...she did the only thing she could think of in order to get out of this position with her pride still somewhat intact…</p>
<p class="p1">She stuck her tongue out and licked.</p>
<p class="p1">The hand instantly disappeared, allowing Yang to turn around and find Blake wiping her palm on her jeans.</p>
<p class="p1">"You licked me?" the girl asked in shock.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hey, girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do," she answered, somewhat smugly, even though she now had a gun pointed directly at her chest.</p>
<p class="p1">Shaking her head, Blake still couldn't resist smiling.</p>
<p class="p1">"Any last words then?" she asked, trying to force a scowl onto her beautiful features and failing miserably.</p>
<p class="p1">A million words popped into Yang's mind – some horribly inappropriate to say at that moment…or ever. Eventually, she smiled.</p>
<p class="p1">"What do you want for dinner?"</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<hr/>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">A few minutes later, they were exiting the equipment room back into the main section of the building, looking up at the scoreboard to find their ranks.</p>
<p class="p1">"What was your number again?" Blake asked, eyes scanning the list of players.</p>
<p class="p1">"Red seven," Yang confidently replied as she searched.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake immediately began giggling.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yang, you're dead last!"</p>
<p class="p1">She couldn't help but grin at her own miserable showing, especially when Blake was finding so much joy in it.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…I was looking for you basically the entire time and not bothering to shoot anyone else," she tried to explain, hoping to at least save a little bit of face.</p>
<p class="p1">"<em>And </em>you got hit a ton," Blake added helpfully.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang smiled, glancing towards the little girl who had been responsible for most of those hits, now chattering happily with what appeared to be a group of her older brother's friends.</p>
<p class="p1">"I sure did," she admitted. "I'm not going to pretend I did well – and I will gladly treat you to any dinner of your choosing."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake followed her eyes in the same direction as the little girl before turning back to Yang with a much more affectionate expression.</p>
<p class="p1">"Did you want to get dinner now then? I know a great sushi place nearby."</p>
<p class="p1">"Lead the way, Milady," she responded with a small bow, grinning while she followed Blake out of the building.</p>
<p class="p1">They both paused to blink when they stepped outside. It was much brighter than it had been inside, even though it was now evening and the sun was beginning to disappear from the sky.</p>
<p class="p1">It wasn't until they were walking down the sidewalk that Yang remembered Glynda's call from earlier. She pulled out her phone, figuring she should check and see if Glynda had left a message.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you mind if I check my messages real quick?" she asked politely, waving her phone for Blake to see. "I should just check and see if my agent needed anything important."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake nodded her approval and turned her attention back forwards.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang grinned as she tapped the device on, but immediately froze in her tracks when she saw her screen.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh oh…"</p>
<p class="p1">Glynda had called her <em>six</em> times, leaving her six messages, <em>and</em> sent her several emails. Her agent was normally somewhat overzealous, but never <em>this</em> much. Not unless something really important had happened.</p>
<p class="p1">Checking the emails first, she instantly saw what all of the fuss was about, making her to let out a loud groan.</p>
<p class="p1">"What is it?" Blake asked in concern, having turned around to walk back to the frozen actress.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…well…"</p>
<p class="p1">She really couldn't predict how Blake would react to this. But, better to find out sooner rather than later, right? She just hadn't thought that she would be finding out <em>this</em> soon…</p>
<p class="p1">She turned the phone around and handed it to Blake, who glanced at her in confusion before hesitantly accepting the device. Yang held her breath while she watched intently for Blake's reaction. From the girl's current expression, she really couldn't tell how this was going over.</p>
<p class="p1">That was, until Blake started laughing.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…" Blake replied through her chuckles, handing the phone back to Yang. "It's not very often that an author makes headline news like that."</p>
<p class="p1">She smiled at the end of her statement, seemingly unperturbed by what she had just seen. Yang breathed a huge sigh of relief, looking back down at the article posted on an online celebrity gossip website.</p>
<p class="p1">'Yang steps out with new beau – Cinder heartbroken,' the caption read, complete with a picture of the two of them at the zoo yesterday.</p>
<p class="p1">She gave a small laugh herself at the article, but still felt uneasy about how quickly this problem had appeared.</p>
<p class="p1">"A-are you sure this is ok?" she asked, almost afraid to hear an honest answer. This was something she had very little control over, after all. Being spied on and talked about kind of came with the territory of dating her, and if Blake decided she couldn't handle the attention…well…even if Yang quit acting, the media would still follow her around for a long, long time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes! I mean…it's a little strange; definitely not the level of attention I'm used to…but I would have been a fool to believe that this wouldn't happen, eventually…" Blake replied, the sincerity in her reply putting Yang back at ease.</p>
<p class="p1">"I just wish the article was…I don't know…more concrete," Yang lamented as she finally put her phone away.</p>
<p class="p1">"What do you mean?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh…I don't know…something that really said 'Bam! We're an item!' But this….this could easily just be two friends out having a good time together..."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake nodded her head thoughtfully.</p>
<p class="p1">"I see what you mean, but…<em>are</em> we an item?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, of course!" she responded without hesitation, before the look of surprise in Blake's eyes made her realize that she actually couldn't speak for both of them.</p>
<p class="p1">"Um…I mean…are we? Because…uh…I would really like to be..."</p>
<p class="p1">Lamest way to ask a girl out...ever.</p>
<p class="p1">But Blake smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">Without a word, the raven haired girl pulled Yang forward by the front of her shirt, lightly pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. Before Yang was even able to kiss the girl back, Blake had already pulled away.</p>
<p class="p1">"S-so…do you think that makes it clear enough to everyone?" the author asked purposefully, even though Yang could see the faint blush on her cheeks and slight tremble of her hands.</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, Yang could only gape at the author like a goldfish out of its bowl, her heart beating at a million miles per hour while she struggled to surface for air.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…wow…yes…I mean…y-yeah I think so!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smirked, confidence fully restored by Yang's stutters. Turning away, she gestured for them to continue walking.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang bit her lip and followed, trying to save the feeling of Blake's lips on her own for as long as possible. After they had walked a short distance in comfortable silence, she decided that it was time for her to attempt a bold step forward.</p>
<p class="p1">Her palms instantly began sweating when she thought about what she wanted to do. Wiping them both off repeatedly on her jeans, she glanced quickly towards her date before taking a deep breath. Nervously, she reached her hand across the distance separating them, grasping the girl's hand while they continued walking.</p>
<p class="p1">The soft hum of appreciation she earned from the author made her feel a thousand feet tall.</p>
<p class="p1">"You know…uh…I think that I could probably use some more clarity on that…" she remarked playfully, making Blake laugh again.</p>
<p class="p1">"Maybe later. Right now I'm starving."</p>
<p class="p1">Nodding her head, Yang couldn't remove the megawatt smile from her face.</p>
<p class="p1">She would buy Blake all the fish in the sea if it gave her even a slight chance of earning another kiss.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">When Blake woke the next morning, she felt as if she were waking up from a dream. The events of the past few days felt too…surreal…to have actually happened. First, meeting Yang - in a bathroom of all places - then going on several dates with the beautiful blonde, being surprised at every turn by the type of person Yang was turning out to be.</p>
<p class="p1">And yesterday…she <em>really</em> couldn't believe what had happened yesterday...</p>
<p class="p1">Not only had they finally kissed, but <em>Blake</em> had kissed Yang first. <em>Blake</em>.</p>
<p class="p1">Never in a million years would she have thought that she would be the one to initiate any kind of intimacy between the two of them. Even though she had <em>wanted</em> to kiss the girl after their date at the zoo, she hadn't been able to find the nerve to make the first move.</p>
<p class="p1">But in that moment, when they had been standing together on the sidewalk, she had felt like it was just the right thing to do. After playing laser tag, with the friendly competition, and seeing Yang let that little girl tag her repeatedly during the game…Blake had felt overcome with fondness for the blonde. The way Yang cared for the people around her was enviable, especially for someone like Blake, who was much more reserved. And this feeling had come out in an unexpectedly amazing way.</p>
<p class="p1">Not only had she finally found the daring to do it, but she had actually kissed Yang <em>twice</em>. Sharing a longer one when Yang had walked her home after their dinner.</p>
<p class="p1">Since then, she had devoted practically every waking second thinking about Yang and those kisses. She wouldn't want to say she was <em>obsessed</em>, but she certainly wouldn't mind doing it again. And again...and again...</p>
<p class="p1">Fortunately, she knew that Yang felt the same way from the ridiculously goofy grin the blonde sported after each kiss.</p>
<p class="p1">When Yang had invited her out again today, she hadn't hesitated in accepting the invitation. Although, from how Yang had described it, they would actually be attending an event Yang had been scheduled to make an appearance at. Even though Blake had questioned whether they should be seen together like this, Yang had assured her that it would be ok; it wasn't 'that type' of event, whatever that meant.</p>
<p class="p1">And so, in what Blake was determining was typical Yang fashion, the blonde had only given her a time and the vague instruction to 'wear something you can run around in and don't mind getting dirty.'</p>
<p class="p1">Black shorts with a white tank top seemed to fit that bill perfectly – it was precisely what Blake would wear to the gym…if she went to the gym, that was. Now all Blake had to do was eat breakfast before her date would arrive in time for their early start this morning. She could only imagine what sort of event would call for such casual attire…but the mystery was just part of the excitement.</p>
<p class="p1">She began second guessing her choice of clothing right when the buzzer sounded, announcing Yang's arrival.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes?" she asked, gazing at her reflection in the hallway mirror one last time.</p>
<p class="p1">"Miss Xiao Long is here for you," Charlie's voice replied from the intercom.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'll be right down."</p>
<p class="p1">Even though she had known Yang was coming to pick her up this morning, hearing the blonde's name still filled her stomach with butterflies. Grabbing her keys off the counter, she found herself staring at the elevator doors seconds later, waiting impatiently for them to open once more.</p>
<p class="p1">When they did, she was surprised to find Yang and Charlie once again in the middle of what appeared to be a highly animated conversation. Only this time, the blonde was actually sitting on the edge of Charlie's desk; tan, toned legs dangling towards the ground while the two shared a laugh about something.</p>
<p class="p1">Their attention turned to her as soon as she stepped into the lobby, allowing her to throw a raised eyebrow in Charlie's direction at how comfortable he had allowed Yang to make herself after they had met just two times. She then granted herself a few moments to check out her date…actually, to check out her girlfriend.</p>
<p class="p1">Thankfully, Blake didn't seem to have been too off target in her outfit. Yang was sporting a <em>short</em> pair of black shorts along with a yellow spaghetti strap top. But, as with everything else, Yang was clearly the more glamorous of the two - that was probably just something Blake was going to have to get used to.</p>
<p class="p1">Although…from the way Yang was looking at her right now, she might imagine that the blonde would put up an argument over who had the better outfit.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake felt a familiar flush dust her cheeks while Yang looked her up and down, judging her clothing for…something – she couldn't really be sure what. Finally making a determination, Yang gave her a big smile after hopping down from her perch on Charlie's desk.</p>
<p class="p1">"You're in pretty good shape, right?" Yang asked as she approached Blake, grin still on her face.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smirked at the abrupt greeting, forever on the lookout for any opportunity to throw the blonde off her game. It was a rather easy thing to do, and Blake always found the results to be particularly adorable…</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, good morning to you too," she replied with a smile, knowing that the greeting would cause Yang to stumble.</p>
<p class="p1">And stumble she did…right into a big vat of stutters as she attempted to correct the perceived mistake.</p>
<p class="p1">"O-oh right, good morning!" the blonde replied hastily, an endearing flush lighting up her cheeks. "How has your morning been? Well, I imagine it probably just started…but you know…and, um, you look amazing, by the way."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake couldn't help herself, letting out a giggle while she watched Yang struggle through what she thought must be the proper morning greeting. Of course, she was more than happy to help Yang out of the predicament she had all but forced the girl into.</p>
<p class="p1">"You look amazing, too," she responded softly, drawing that signature radiant smile back into the light. But the longer they stood there smiling at each other, the more uncomfortable Blake became. Something about those lilac eyes was so disarming...like Yang was looking into her very soul.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…are you going to tell me where we're going now?" she asked hopefully, trying to direct attention away from herself.</p>
<p class="p1">"Nnnnnope!" Yang responded gleefully, confidence back at full charge. "You'll see when we get there! But before we go…any chance for a good morning kiss?"</p>
<p class="p1">The question was whispered as Yang leaned close to her, eyes twinkling with unconcealed playfulness. Blake was sure that her expression registered purely as shock at the boldness of the request – her mind going temporarily blank as to how to appropriately respond.</p>
<p class="p1">Thankfully, her brain began firing on all cylinders seconds later, allowing her to answer in the cheekiest way possible to save face.</p>
<p class="p1">"Kisses are earned, not given," she responded with a smirk, walking by Yang towards the lobby doors so that they could get going.</p>
<p class="p1">As expected, Yang let out a good natured laugh from behind her before jogging to catch up.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ohhh, I plan to earn one, don't you worry," the blonde remarked happily as she reclaimed her place by Blake's side.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake tried to prevent Yang from seeing her smile, opting to open her own door to the now familiar car parked in front of the building.</p>
<p class="p1">The drive to wherever they were headed ended up taking fifteen to twenty minutes – just enough time to make it to the more suburban part of Vale, where there were fewer skyscrapers and more houses with sizeable lawns and swimming pools. Blake hadn't been out this way in a long time, but she knew it was the area of wealthy neighborhoods and large tracts of still undeveloped land.</p>
<p class="p1">Leaving the neighborhoods behind, Blake was surprised to find an entire field filled with parked cars and people. When Yang turned the car into the 'parking lot' (actually just a large area filled with gravel), Blake finally saw a large painted sign that gave away what their activity would be for the day.</p>
<p class="p1">'9th Annual Vale Valley Mud Run'</p>
<p class="p1">"A mud run?" she asked incredulously as soon as the words sunk in.</p>
<p class="p1">The only response she received was a laugh while Yang parked the car and hopped outside, running around the front of the vehicle in order to open Blake's door before she had the opportunity to get it herself.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you think you can do it?" Yang asked, a fair amount of concern in her voice while waiting for Blake to exit the car.</p>
<p class="p1">"I…think so…"</p>
<p class="p1">"I've been participating in this particular mud run for nine years running now," Yang remarked proudly. Gesturing towards the registration area, Blake followed her date carefully through the crowds of other participants, noticing that many stopped and stared when they passed by.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake could certainly understand why they would stare – what with Yang's excellent figure and…form fitting shorts…but that didn't help put out the tiny spark of jealousy unexpectedly flitting around her chest.</p>
<p class="p1">The feeling was instantly dispelled when Yang grabbed ahold of her hand, guiding Blake the rest of the way to the registration booth together.</p>
<p class="p1">The two girls manning the table instantly recognized Yang, lighting up when they saw the girl approaching them.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good morning," Yang greeted the girls pleasantly.</p>
<p class="p1">"G-good morning!" the girl on the right stuttered while the second girl shuffled the papers in front of her nervously.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yang Xiao Long, here to check in. Oh, and I hope you don't mind that I brought my girlfriend."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake flushed at the term, which drew the two girls' stares in her direction – most notably to their still intertwined hands. She loosened her grip on Yang's hand in discomfort, which drew a questioning gaze from the blonde before she obligingly let go. The second she did, Blake felt ashamed that she had let two strangers make her cut off the display of affection. Trying to cover up the act, Blake hastily picked up a pen from the table as one of the girls pushed a form towards her.</p>
<p class="p1">"O-of course, that's ok!" the first girl responded while Blake began filling out the form in front of her. "She just needs to fill out that form and we'll get a number for her."</p>
<p class="p1">"Perfect," Yang replied, giving Blake a wide smile that only made her feel guiltier. "Are you ready to get dirty?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes," she replied firmly, determined not to allow that incident ruin her day with Yang. "I do think that white might have been a poor color choice though…"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed at the observance.</p>
<p class="p1">"It wouldn't have mattered what color you chose…we're going home covered in mud regardless!"</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…Y-Yang?"</p>
<p class="p1">The question brought their attention back to the registration table, where the two girls were staring at them with eyes wide in adoration.</p>
<p class="p1">"H-here are your numbers for the race, just stick them on the front of your shirts. And they'll be expecting you at the race podium in fifteen minutes."</p>
<p class="p1">"Great, thank you!" Yang responded, taking the two numbers and handing one to Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"The race podium?" Blake asked inquisitively, following Yang away from the table.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah…They ask me to give a little kick off speech each year to set things off. It's no big deal, really."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake looked at the girl curiously while they walked between various groups of race participants. There was something Yang wasn't mentioning, but she couldn't figure out what it was.</p>
<p class="p1">Approaching the starting line, marked by a giant banner broadcasting the word 'start,' a man wearing a baseball cap and holding a clipboard motioned hastily towards them.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang turned towards Blake, smiling apologetically.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm going to go do this thing, then meet you right back down here and we'll start, k?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Of course," she responded with a smile. "Go give your speech – I'll wait right here."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang flashed her another winning smile before bouncing off after the man in the hat, leaving Blake standing in the midst of the other race participants at the starting line. Glancing around the field, she could see the outlines of several large obstacles surrounded by pools and pools mud. Tall walls, inflatable slides…a whole cornucopia of hurdles was stretching out in front of them.</p>
<p class="p1">Nerves began bubbling in her stomach when she finally thought about the grueling amount of physical activity in her immediate future.</p>
<p class="p1">She wouldn't necessarily say she was in poor shape…but it had been quite some time since she had undertaken anything of this magnitude. She ate right and made sure to get outside regularly, but other than that, being an author didn't really necessitate a vigorous workout routine.</p>
<p class="p1">Her date, on the other hand…well, the blonde's scant clothing revealed precisely how much time she spent working on her figure.</p>
<p class="p1">Speaking of Yang, Blake noticed the girl climbing up onto a small stage equipped with a single microphone directly to the right of the starting line - accompanied by an older woman whose aura seemed to suggest she was in charge. The attentions of those in the crowd drifted towards the stage as more and more of the participants realized that the run was about to begin.</p>
<p class="p1">From her place twenty feet or so from the stage, Blake's eyes quickly focused upon Yang, only to divert away when she realized those lilac eyes were already staring directly back at her. More race participants began to scoot in closer to her, preparing to hear the kick off speech.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," the older woman began with a gracious smile at the crowd of anxious runners in front of her. "It is a pleasure to see all of you here bright and early for the 9th Annual Vale Mud Run – benefitting the three Vale Animal Shelters located within our great city."</p>
<p class="p1">The woman allowed a pause to stretch out, providing enough time for the crowd to give a quick cheer before she continued.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake now realized what it was that Yang hadn't yet told her. This was a charity event Yang had brought her to - for animal shelters, no less.</p>
<p class="p1">She hadn't thought it was possible for the blonde to become any more endearing, but apparently she'd been wrong.</p>
<p class="p1">"It is my honor to introduce to you the beautiful and talented Yang Xiao Long, one of our long time Mud Run supporters. She's going to get us started here today. Yang?"</p>
<p class="p1">A loud round of applause passed through the crowd when Yang stepped up to the microphone to begin speaking.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yang Xiao Long? Jeez she's even hotter in person than in the movies!"</p>
<p class="p1">"I <em>told</em> you she'd be here. She comes every year!"</p>
<p class="p1">"I heard she just started dating some author – think that's true?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake's ears burned at the comments from the people standing beside her. She did her best to focus all of her attention on Yang, attempting to drown out the people around her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good morning!" Yang's voice rang out cheerfully through the microphone, causing the applause to die down while a few people shouted 'good morning' in return.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang grinned, eyes finding Blake's one more time before she continued to scan across the crowd.</p>
<p class="p1">"I know the <em>real</em> reason you're all here is to jump in some mud, so I'll keep this as brief as possible. Your entry fee and donations today go directly towards the animal shelters servicing the greater city of Vale – finding forever homes for those animals that have been…a little less fortunate in their lives. If the awareness raised today can send even one dog or cat home to a new family; well, then we should all consider this event to be a success."</p>
<p class="p1">A smattering of applause broke out when Yang paused, which Blake joined in with. Yang's passion for this cause rang through with every syllable she spoke aloud, making it nearly impossible not to feel motivated to help her succeed.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…without further ado…everyone be safe this morning. Have fun and, most importantly, get muddy!"</p>
<p class="p1">Raucous cheers broke out, the energy in the crowd becoming charged in preparation of the start signal. The older woman handed Yang a starting pistol, which the blonde promptly pointed up in the air and fired.</p>
<p class="p1">A loud crack rang out, immediately followed by a flurry of activity. Blake stepped quickly to the side to avoid being trampled by the swarm of people pushing by her through the starting gate, still cheering while they made their way towards the first obstacle.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang appeared in front of her moments later, bouncing up and down with unreleased energy.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ready to go?"</p>
<p class="p1">When Blake nodded, Yang turned and gestured for Blake to follow her over the starting line. There was a short distance of grass to cover before they reached the first obstacle, which they crossed at the easy pace Yang set.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…animal shelters, huh?" Blake asked curiously as they jogged amongst the other run participants.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah…I wish that I could actually adopt a dog or a cat, but I just work too much right now to be able to take care of one. So, I try to help in another way!"</p>
<p class="p1">"I take it you're a dog person then?" Blake teased – figuring that Yang's high energy would be much more suited to owning a rambunctious dog.</p>
<p class="p1">The laugh she received in response only furthered the suspicion that she was correct.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well…I'd like to say both, but I might be <em>slightly</em> more of a dog person. My little sister is kind of like a hyperactive puppy sometimes, so maybe that's where I got my fondness for them."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake laughed at the logic, remembering that Yang had mentioned having a younger sister - two years younger, if she remembered correctly. Ruby - the one who was currently traveling around the world by herself.</p>
<p class="p1">They slowed to a walk in front of the first obstacle – a field of small inflatable pools arranged like a tire run that they would have to jump through. The bottom of each pool was filled with muddy water, splashing out after each racer jumped from one and into another.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you ready?" Yang asked with a grin, eyes twinkling happily.</p>
<p class="p1">Glancing down at her clean, dry clothing one last time, she nodded her head. With that as her answer, Yang took off through one row of mud 'tires,' spraying muddy water in all directions as she made her way towards the end.</p>
<p class="p1">Not wanting to be left too far behind, Blake chased after the girl, feeling her left sneaker completely drenched the second she jumped into the first miniature pool. The damage being done, she followed Yang as quickly as she could.</p>
<p class="p1">Stepping out of the tires at the end of the row, she could hear her shoes squelching with each step - completely water logged. Mud was splattered up her legs as far as her knees, but her shirt had managed to stay dry, so far.</p>
<p class="p1">"Don't look so thrilled with yourself," Yang commented with a laugh. "We only just got our feet wet. The wire crawl is next."</p>
<p class="p1">"The…"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake followed the direction Yang pointed, finding rows of low hanging wire strung over the muddiest patch of earth she had ever seen.</p>
<p class="p1">Letting out a small groan, she still managed to smile when Yang tugged her by the hand to run over to their next obstacle.</p>
<p class="p1">It turned out that the 'muddy' tires hadn't been all that muddy compared to the wire crawl, as Blake soon found out. Getting down onto her belly, she slithered her way under the rows and rows of wire, feeling the cold mud squishing out of the way beneath her hands and legs.</p>
<p class="p1">When she finally pulled herself up at the end, Yang immediately giggled at the sight of her - her front completely covered in a thick layer of mud up to her neck.</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, Yang was equally mud covered - but the actress somehow managed to make it look fashionable.</p>
<p class="p1">"Come on, muddy!" Yang called out as she led the way to the next obstacle.</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them made their way through the obstacle course - adding more and more mud to their collection at each stop. They raced up a pyramid climb, only to slide down a muddy ramp on the other side. Next they ran through a pool filled with nearly two feet of muddy water, which Blake found actually helped <em>clean</em> her shoes somewhat, they had been so filthy.</p>
<p class="p1">They crawled through long, inflatable tunnels with the bottoms lined in mud. They flew down a slip 'n slide covered in muddy water. And now they had finally made it to the very last obstacle...a seven foot tall wall they needed to climb over.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake had done pretty well with all of the other obstacles today, but of course they had saved the hardest for last - when she had almost no energy left in her arms. The easy way out was an option - she could just step around the side of the wall and forfeit trying, but she was never going to do that in front of Yang.</p>
<p class="p1">Jumping up, she was able to grip her arms over the top of the wall, but couldn't quite find the right foothold to push herself over the top.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh...can you give me a boost?" she asked Yang as she hung there.</p>
<p class="p1">After several seconds of her arms burning and silence from her date, she looked back towards the ground, finding Yang just staring at her with a blush on her cheeks. Blake felt a flush of her own appear when she realized what the blonde had been doing.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you going to keep staring at my butt?" she asked playfully, the pain in her arms seeming to lessen while she focused on Yang's embarrassment.</p>
<p class="p1">Finally knocked out of her stupor, Yang rushed forward to help her - but instead of boosting her up by one of her feet, like Blake had expected, the blonde pushed both hands against Blake's butt, throwing her up and over the wall with a small squeak of surprise. Thankfully, she was able to hang onto the wall long enough to somewhat gently drop herself down into the fresh pile of mud waiting on the other side.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang flipped over the wall a few seconds later, face burning just as red as Blake's must be.</p>
<p class="p1">"I could have just given you a leg up, huh," the blonde said in embarrassment, causing Blake to burst into laughter.</p>
<p class="p1">"Naw, that was much better."</p>
<p class="p1">"But look! We made it!" Yang gestured behind Blake towards the finish line thirty yards away, undoubtedly trying to divert attention away from her most recent blunder.</p>
<p class="p1">They jogged the last remaining steps and Blake could finally start to feel her muscles protesting the amount of activity she put them through today. Her arms in particular were screaming at her from all of the climbing and crawling around on the ground.</p>
<p class="p1">Thankfully, waiting for them on the opposite side of the finish line was a table filled with cups of water - along with some of the most adorable adoption dogs who were all eagerly saying hello to all of the race participants.</p>
<p class="p1">"So...first mud run?" Yang asked after downing most of her cup of water in a single gulp, pausing for a few seconds to kneel down and pet an extra energetic terrier who made his way over to her.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake nodded while drinking her own cup, currently too thirsty to take a second to respond with words.</p>
<p class="p1">"You did great though. And you <em>look</em> fantastic."</p>
<p class="p1">She glanced down at herself, finding not an inch of her body that wasn't covered in a thick layer of brown. She had to let out a laugh at how ridiculous they both looked; even the stick-on numbers they had been given earlier were unreadable.</p>
<p class="p1">"If this is your idea of looking fantastic, I'm surprised you haven't show up on more magazine covers wearing this."</p>
<p class="p1">"I've tried, but the mud just doesn't photograph very well," Yang replied as she stood up, looking at Blake with eyes twinkling in amusement.</p>
<p class="p1">After sharing a laugh, Blake gave Yang another smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you - for bringing me today. I had a lot of fun. Although my body will certainly hate me for this tomorrow…"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed, but her smile said that she was thrilled Blake had enjoyed herself.</p>
<p class="p1">"So, does this mean you'll come with me next year?"</p>
<p class="p1">The question was innocent and unassuming - and from the radiant smile on Yang's face, the blonde hadn't even recognized the weight of it.</p>
<p class="p1">But Blake blushed when she answered, imagining what another year with this girl would be like.</p>
<p class="p1">"Sure, I'll come next year."</p>
<p class="p1">The two of them spent the next few moments saying hello to nearly every one of the adoption animals at the event, while chatting with various other participants who wanted photographs or autographs from Yang. Of course, the blonde was completely willing to satisfy any request asked of her, except for the exceedingly brazen man who asked for a kiss. He was rather coldly shot down by the actress, much to Blake's approval.</p>
<p class="p1">And now that the event was winding down, the two of them were walking back across the 'parking lot' to Yang's car.</p>
<p class="p1">"Are you sure we shouldn't change or...shower or something?" Blake asked a second time, looking down at the now dried mud that was flaking off of her whenever she moved. "I don't want to fill your car with dirt."</p>
<p class="p1">"Don't worry about that! I'll just have it cleaned tomorrow," Yang answered easily, waving one hand in the air to dismiss any of Blake's concerns. "It's just dirt, after all…"</p>
<p class="p1">She smiled, grateful that Yang wasn't super concerned about keeping her vehicle in immaculate condition.</p>
<p class="p1">When the car came into view, she heard a small cough from beside her - making her to turn to find Yang looking slightly nervous while at the same time trying appear confident.</p>
<p class="p1">"So...uh...did I earn that good morning kiss yet?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake's eyes widened at the same time the butterflies in her stomach came back to life - not having expected the request.</p>
<p class="p1">Stopping in front of the driver's side door, she somehow managed to gather enough nerve to lean forward and give Yang a tender kiss on the lips - the feeling sending waves of energy pulsating through her veins just like it had yesterday.</p>
<p class="p1">Pulling only partly away so that she and Yang were still breathing the same air, she whispered, "Good morning."</p>
<p class="p1">When Yang's only response was the grin like a madwoman at her, she blushed and backed a little further away - abruptly realizing that they were still out in public.</p>
<p class="p1">"You know, you don't have to ask every time you want to kiss me…"</p>
<p class="p1">"Really?" Yang asked in surprise as Blake turned and started walking towards her side of the car.</p>
<p class="p1">"Really," she replied, turning back to give the blonde a reassuring smile only to find Yang's lips crashing into hers again. Her back quickly met the surface of the car as Yang pressed against her - kissing her much more passionately this time.</p>
<p class="p1">For a brief instant, she wondered how they were both covered in mud, yet Yang still smelled absolutely incredible. The thought instantly disappeared when she felt Yang's hand slide up from her hip, the movement slightly dragging up Blake's shirt and drawing the softest of moans from the back of her throat.</p>
<p class="p1">It was only when Yang pulled away did she realize that other people in the parking lot were now openly staring at them. Her face immediately blossomed into a full flush, but Yang didn't seem to notice or mind at all.</p>
<p class="p1">"You know, you might be the filthiest girl I've ever kissed in a parking lot," the blonde said with a pleased grin before walking around the car to open Blake's door for her.</p>
<p class="p1">"So you've kissed dirtier girls then?" she asked with a smirk, following the girl over to her seat.</p>
<p class="p1">"Nope! You're by far the filthiest," Yang answered proudly, before her eyes widened in horror.</p>
<p class="p1">"I mean! I'm obviously not saying you're filthy in <em>that</em> way. W-well, I guess that maybe I wouldn't know that yet but -"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake giggled and silenced the girl with a quick kiss on the lips before sliding into the car with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">She couldn't wait to do this again next year.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">"So how have things been going with Blake?" Pyrrha asked as she neatly unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap.</p>
<p class="p1">The small cafe they were currently seated at for lunch seemed to be packed to the seams today - with waiters and patrons rushing back and forth around them. But, the dull droning of people speaking and silverware clinking at least added a certain amount of privacy in their conversation. Not that Yang particularly cared who overheard her speaking about her newfound obsession.</p>
<p class="p1">"Things have been great!" she replied while unfolding her own napkin. "Really, really great…"</p>
<p class="p1">Her words trailed off with a happy smile as her thoughts drifted back to the writer, who was all Yang seemed to think about these days. But how could she not think about someone so beautiful, funny, smart...</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha let out a small giggle.</p>
<p class="p1">"I know - I saw."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang smiled in response until the words suddenly clicked in her mind, bringing her attention crashing back to her best friend in confusion.</p>
<p class="p1">"What do you mean, you <em>saw</em>?"</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha giggled again, pulling something out of her bag and tossing it down on the table between them. Yang's eyes widened in surprise when she saw the picture on the front page of the weekly gossip magazine.</p>
<p class="p1">"I mean, I literally saw," Pyrrha responded gleefully, gesturing one perfectly manicured hand towards the photograph.</p>
<p class="p1">"As your best friend, you can imagine how <em>shocked</em> and <em>upset</em> I am to have found out something like this from the tabloids," the model continued, voice dripping in fake hurt.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang ignored the comment and picked up the magazine to examine the front cover in greater detail.</p>
<p class="p1">She should probably be a <em>little</em> more upset or disturbed that someone had taken a picture of their first kiss and printed it for the entire world to see…but she really wasn't. If anything, seeing the picture made her heart pound as if she were back in that moment – with the smell of Blake's shampoo invading her senses while the girl's soft lips pressed against her own. It had only lasted for a split second, but Yang could still remember the sensation so vividly.</p>
<p class="p1">And, even though this rarely seemed to happen, the picture actually <em>looked</em> nearly as good as she imagined it. Blake's hand was lightly grasping the front of her shirt, while Yang's left arm hovered near the girl's waist, as if she were going to pull Blake closer at any second. Eyes closed, their lips were pressed together in a sweet kiss, not a greedy one.</p>
<p class="p1">Although…if Yang had <em>known </em>or even vaguely suspected that the kiss had been coming, things might have played out differently. Blake had caught her completely off guard - something that made Yang smile whenever she thought about it.</p>
<p class="p1">It was a great picture.</p>
<p class="p1">"Look at you; you're grinning like an idiot."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang instantly dropped the big grin as she ripped her attention away from the photo and back to the delighted model sitting in front of her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Can I keep this?" she asked, not waiting for an answer as she rolled it up and stuffed it into her own bag.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh, sure, I guess you already are."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh like you were going to keep it?" she replied with a laugh. "What were you planning on doing with this photo, Pyrrha? Nothing too weird, I hope."</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha scoffed, although a slight blush rose on her cheeks.</p>
<p class="p1">"I was going to keep it as a reminder of your betrayal."</p>
<p class="p1">Now it was Yang's turn to sputter in indignation. "Like you've never kept something a secret from me? Not that I was even keeping this a secret!"</p>
<p class="p1">"It should have been the first thing you brought up! And no, I have not keep a secret from you," Pyrrha emphatically replied, the answer making Yang raise her eyebrows in surprise.</p>
<p class="p1">"Really," she responded flatly, giving the redhead one last chance to admit before Yang called her out.</p>
<p class="p1">"Really."</p>
<p class="p1">"I can't believe Pyrrha Nikos just lied to me!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air while overplaying her dismay by a factor of ten.</p>
<p class="p1">"When have I ever kept a secret from you?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh…I don't know…how about that time you hooked up with a certain <em>blonde</em> talk show host <em>at my birthday party</em>?"</p>
<p class="p1">She paused while she watched Pyrrha turn a shade of red nearly matching her hair.</p>
<p class="p1">"I don't know what you're…"</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh just admit it, Pyrrha!" Yang cut the girl off with a grin. "I saw you two together, getting it on in <em>my room</em> - but you never told me about it."</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha tapped one finger softly against the table, clearly deep in thought over how to proceed now that the tables had been turned.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok," she finally said. "You're right. I kept that a secret from you; and you failed to mention this kiss. I think the two of those should cancel out, yes?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed, nodding her head.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah, those cancel out."</p>
<p class="p1">"Good," Pyrrha replied happily as she finally set in on her meal. "She's very pretty, by the way."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't stop the idiot sized grin from returning to her face at the compliment.</p>
<p class="p1">"She's so much more than just pretty though…she's smart, funny, playful, serious….all at the same time. She doesn't care about fame…she makes fun of me more than a little bit…but I love every second of it."</p>
<p class="p1">"I don't think I've ever heard you gush about someone so much," Pyrrha observed.</p>
<p class="p1">"That's because I don't think I've ever liked someone so much," Yang responded honestly, narrowing her eyes slightly when she thought about the truth behind that statement.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…when do I get to meet her?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…I'm not sure…a few weeks, maybe? She has to go out of town in a couple of days for work. We're going to grab dinner tomorrow night before she leaves…" Yang's voice trailed off when she noticed Pyrrha shaking her head.</p>
<p class="p1">"What?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Change your plans – you're having dinner tomorrow at my place instead."</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…no we're not," Yang responded as if it were the most ludicrous idea in the world.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, you are."</p>
<p class="p1">"Why on earth would I agree to that?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Because - one, I'm your best friend and I want to meet this girl before you fall madly in love with her."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't help thinking that it might already be a little too late for that, but allowed Pyrrha to continue.</p>
<p class="p1">"And two, because you owe me."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang let out a loud laugh at that assumption.</p>
<p class="p1">"<em>Owe</em> you? What on earth do I owe you for?" she asked incredulously.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha stared straight across the table at her, expression serious.</p>
<p class="p1">"Last summer – my show in Atlas."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang instantly stopped laughing, opting to smile apologetically instead.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes '<em>oh</em>'," Pyrrha repeated, not looking at all amused by the memory.</p>
<p class="p1">"Uh…so if I do this…then we're even, right?" Yang asked hopefully.</p>
<p class="p1">"Then we can <em>discuss</em> being even," Pyrrha replied with a small smirk. She knew that she had Yang exactly where she wanted her. And Yang knew that she did need to start making that unfortunate event up to Pyrrha, eventually…</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok…but! I'm not going to force her to come. If she says that she doesn't want to, then you can't say I didn't try, deal?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Absolutely," Pyrrha replied, thankfully being very reasonable when it came to the reasonable stipulations Yang added. "But…you have to call her right now – so that I can make sure you don't try to convince her out of coming."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang scrunched up her nose in disappointment. Of course Pyrrha knew her way too well to let her call Blake in private…</p>
<p class="p1">She slowly reached back into her bag and pulled out her phone, selecting Blake's contact information before lifting the device up to her ear.</p>
<p class="p1">"I don't like you, by the way," she hissed towards Pyrrha, sticking out her tongue like a child while the phone began ringing.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha only laughed at her words, knowing that Yang was in no way being serious.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hello?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang's heart nearly caught in her throat when Blake answered the phone. Something about hearing the girl's voice always ratcheted her pulse up several notches.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hey, Blake," she replied, feeling a smile creep onto her face even though she couldn't even see the girl on the other end of the line. "So I'm here having lunch with Pyrrha and she was…kind…enough to invite us both over for dinner at her place tomorrow night. I know that we had plans to go out, but if you're ok with it…we could do that, instead…"</p>
<p class="p1">She paused for a brief second before panic began to set in. It seemed <em>way</em> too early for Blake to be meeting her friends, after all.</p>
<p class="p1">"I mean, only if you want to! And are completely comfortable with it. You totally don't have to at all, so don't feel pressured or anything. It was actually just more of an idea than anything. I can totally blow her off, no problem."</p>
<p class="p1">The words flew like missiles from her mouth as she tried to undo whatever damage she might have caused with the suggestion in the first place.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yang."</p>
<p class="p1">She froze when she heard her name, ignoring the head shaking Pyrrha was aiming her way.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yeah?" she asked, voice nearly a whisper.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think it sounds like a great idea."</p>
<p class="p1">"You…you do?" she asked in dismay. Pyrrha grinned in pleasure when she heard Yang's aghast question, knowing that the conversation had just turned in her favor.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, it sounds like fun," Blake replied sincerely. "And…I'm sure that she'll have some great stories to tell me…"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang could practically <em>hear</em> Blake's smirk coming from the other side of the line.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ohh…no…I don't think she'll be doing <em>that</em>," Yang replied with a nervous laugh, shooting Pyrrha a glare that the model didn't understand. "But if it's really ok, then we'll go. I'll still come pick you up tomorrow night?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, I'll see you then."</p>
<p class="p1">"See ya!" Yang replied happily, voice far more high pitched than normal. Pyrrha laughed at the same time Blake giggled at her before the call clicked off.</p>
<p class="p1">"So…what should I have made for dinner?" Pyrrha asked with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang gave a heavy sigh – resigning herself to her new fate.</p>
<p class="p1">"Whatever you'd like…she seems to really like fish though."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">"Hey, Charlie!"</p>
<p class="p1">She waved to the security guard as soon as she stepped into the now familiar lobby of Blake's building. He gave her a big smile, standing from his chair and walking around the front of his desk to greet her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Miss Xiao Long...to what do I owe the pleasure today?"</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm here to pick up Blake," she responded after shaking the man's hand cheerfully.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ah, do remind me to thank her for bringing you into my life," he replied teasingly while stepping back to his desk to page Blake's apartment.</p>
<p class="p1">Even though she wasn't necessarily thrilled about the two of them having dinner tonight with Pyrrha, she was absolutely elated to be seeing Blake again. Butterflies were already flitting around her stomach in anticipation and her palms were growing embarrassingly clammy.</p>
<p class="p1">If this was what it was going to feel like every single time they saw each other...well, she was going to die quite early from a heart attack, most likely.</p>
<p class="p1">"What will you two be doing this evening?" Charlie asked cordially while taking his seat once again. Yang hopped onto his desk, swinging her feet lightly through the air while they both waited for Blake to appear.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, you know, just dinner," she answered easily. "Trying not to humiliate myself too much."</p>
<p class="p1">He let out an amused laugh.</p>
<p class="p1">"Does that happen often?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Much more than you would expect - especially when she's around."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't help chuckling at her own misfortune when it came to making a fool out of herself in the author's presence. It definitely wasn't a bad thing though - it reminded her that Blake brought out a side of her that no one else was able to. She just wished that that side of her didn't insist upon putting her foot in her mouth every few minutes.</p>
<p class="p1">Her thoughts were diverted the instant she heard the soft 'ding' of the elevator arriving at the ground floor. Her eyes shot to the doors, waiting on bated breath for her date to appear.</p>
<p class="p1">When Blake stepped out into the lobby, Yang felt her jaw hit Charlie's desk in awe.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake looked <em>amazing</em>. Like, off the charts, frontpage, drop dead <em>gorgeous</em>. She was wearing a brilliant white button up shirt paired with a very nice pair of black slacks. Both items seemed simple, but fit the girl perfectly - highlighting all of the girl's best features in the most appealing way possible. Yang could hardly keep her eyes -</p>
<p class="p1">"Miss Xiao Long…"</p>
<p class="p1">She shot to her feet with a big smile when Charlie poked her lightly in the back with his pen.</p>
<p class="p1">"H-hey Blake!" she said, not failing to notice the small smirk threatening the edges of the author's lips. "You look...wow - so great."</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you," Blake replied bashfully, the softest of blushes appearing on her cheeks. "Although I'm sure I look nowhere near as great as you do."</p>
<p class="p1">"Then you're not seeing what I'm seeing."</p>
<p class="p1">She stepped closer to the girl and picked up one of Blake's hands in her own - lifting it up to her lips to place a soft kiss on the girl's knuckles.</p>
<p class="p1">She quickly released Blake's hand when she realized just how tacky of a gesture she had made, feeling her own cheeks light up in embarrassment. What was she, a gentleman from last century?</p>
<p class="p1">"S-so uh...are you ready to go?" she asked hastily, pointing towards the front door where her car was parked and waiting.</p>
<p class="p1">When Blake took a deep breath, Yang realized that the girl might actually be nervous. Which was probably one of the most adorable things Yang had ever seen.</p>
<p class="p1">"Of course," Blake still responded with a collected smile, forever cool under pressure.</p>
<p class="p1">Grasping Blake's hand, she led her out the front doors, making sure to wave goodbye to Charlie as they made their exit. Not more than a minute later, they were on the road for the short drive to Pyrrha's apartment.</p>
<p class="p1">"Pyrrha lives in that new tower they built just by the river - have you seen it?" Yang asked while they wound their way through the streets.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, uh...yes, I believe so."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang risked a quick glance over at the girl, who was subconsciously biting her lip while peering out the window intently.</p>
<p class="p1">So, this was what Blake looked like when she was nervous…</p>
<p class="p1">So cute…</p>
<p class="p1">"Don't worry. She's not as scary as she looks on all those billboards," she joked. "Actually, she's a lot smaller than those pictures are - miniscule, really, compared to them."</p>
<p class="p1">When she heard a soft giggle from the passenger seat, she smiled.</p>
<p class="p1">"See? It won't be so bad to meet her though, right? We're just...hanging out with one of my friends!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang tried to sound optimistic, but she was very willing to cancel on Pyrrha and pay the consequences if Blake really was too uncomfortable to meet the girl tonight.</p>
<p class="p1">"Most people have normal friends - not world famous supermodels," Blake replied coyly. "And with the two of you together in the same room...I probably should have brought sunglasses to avoid being blinded by all the beauty."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't help laughing at the image of Blake sitting at the dinner table in shades while Pyrrha and her ate dinner. At least Blake was making jokes though - that was a good sign.</p>
<p class="p1">"You do realize that you look amazing though, right?" she asked, sneaking one more peek across the car. "Like, really <em>really</em> amazing. I've never seen Pyrrha look anywhere <em>near</em> that good - and she's a model."</p>
<p class="p1">She hoped that her words would convince Blake that she <em>did</em> look incredible and could definitely hold her own in a room with Pyrrha. In fact, Yang probably should have worn a bib from how much she was going to be drooling over the girl all evening.</p>
<p class="p1">Out of the corner of her eye, Yang caught a glimpse of a smile and knew that her words had at least had some positive effect.</p>
<p class="p1">"If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you some of her most embarrassing secrets," she offered, making the turn off the main street to pull up to the valet in front of Pyrrha's building.</p>
<p class="p1">The sound of Blake's laughter was like music to her ears as she stepped out of the car and handed her keys to the valet, eyes meeting Blake's across the roof of the car while they prepared to head inside.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think I'd rather hear some of <em>your</em> embarrassing secrets than hers," the girl answered with a smile, amber eyes twinkling mischieviously.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang felt her cheeks heat up with a flush while she guided Blake towards the front door.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, she certainly knows some of those…"</p>
<p class="p1">Even though Yang was flushed with embarrassment over the idea of Blake hearing some of her...less than perfect...stories...if her embarrassment made Blake happy, then she was willing to tell the girl every single mistake she'd ever made in her life.</p>
<p class="p1">Maybe not all at once, though - she did still want to date the girl, after all.</p>
<p class="p1">The doorman waved Yang through the front lobby when he saw her - recognizing her from the many times she had passed through these doors to visit her best friend. Making their way to the elevator, Yang grasped one of Blake's hands as soon as the doors had closed.</p>
<p class="p1">"She's going to love you," she whispered one more time for reassurance, even though she wasn't sure if Blake still needed it or not. "And if she doesn't, I'll disown her."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake laughed as the elevator doors slid back open and they stepped out into the hallway in front of Pyrrha's door.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, I certainly hope you don't have to disown <em>anyone</em> today," she commented, allowing Yang to lead her by the hand to Pyrrha's door.</p>
<p class="p1">"I would do it though!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang grinned at the giggle Blake let out while she rang the buzzer to the right of the door.</p>
<p class="p1">Seconds later the door swung inward, revealing a nicely dressed Pyrrha Nikos standing in front of them. Yang was happy to see that Pyrrha hadn't gone all out in her outfit - wearing a nice pair of dark jeans and a red blouse that went perfectly with her red hair.</p>
<p class="p1">"I see someone has already had a positive influence on your timeliness," Pyrrha directed towards Yang with a grin before extending a hand towards Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"Blake, it's very nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang felt her cheeks darken while the two of them shook hands.</p>
<p class="p1">"'So much?'" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow at Yang.</p>
<p class="p1">"Enough to be horribly embarrassing for her," Pyrrha clarified with a giggle, much to Yang's mortification.</p>
<p class="p1">And, just like that, Blake's nerves seemed to disappear as she let out a laugh.</p>
<p class="p1">"N-not <em>too</em> much though! I mean, I've only talked about you...an appropriate amount," Yang stuttered in her defense, causing both Pyrrha and Blake to laugh even harder and her blush to deepen.</p>
<p class="p1">"Come on in," Pyrrha finally said, mercifully putting an end to Yang's floundering while gesturing for both of them to follow her through the doorway.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake stepped inside first and Yang followed, making sure to pull the door shut behind her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Wow."</p>
<p class="p1">That was all Blake said while looking around the front entrance to Pyrrha's home - which opened into a large, spacious living room that was immaculately decorated. All of the furniture was white, with dark mahogany wood that seemed to pair perfectly together. Combined with the classy pictures hung on the walls, the entire area emitted a sophisticated charm.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang could remember being equally impressed when she had first seen Pyrrha's home. At least, before she had learned that…</p>
<p class="p1">"She had an interior designer do it," she whispered to Blake, making sure to say it loudly enough for Pyrrha to overhear.</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you!" Pyrrha responded genuinely to Blake before turning to Yang with a glower. "And thank <em>you</em> for that."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang laughed, shrugging her shoulders with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hey, credit where credit is due, Pyrrha! I will say that you <em>know </em>a spectacular designer!"</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha rolled her eyes and Blake giggled at their banter, giving Yang more confidence that the evening wouldn't be as uncomfortable as she had originally anticipated.</p>
<p class="p1">"On the other hand, I decorated my apartment all by myself!" she added boastfully, knowing that her statement would immediately draw a response from the redhead.</p>
<p class="p1">"And that's why it looks like a ten year old lives there," Pyrrha replied, batting her eyes innocently while Yang shook her head with a laugh.</p>
<p class="p1">"Come on, let's eat - the food's ready."</p>
<p class="p1">They followed Pyrrha from the living room into the kitchen and dining room area, which was just as impressive as the entryway had been. Every little decoration seemed to fit into a grand color scheme that ran throughout the entire apartment.</p>
<p class="p1">Of course, Yang hardly noticed the familiar decorations since she was much more intent upon the raven haired girl walking in front of her.</p>
<p class="p1">"If you want to take a seat, I'll bring out the rest of the food."</p>
<p class="p1">They did as Pyrrha directed, taking seats at the large dining room table that could have easily accommodated eight people. There were already place settings where they were going to sit at one end, surrounded by several different dishes piled high with an array of steaming food.</p>
<p class="p1">"Everything looks incredible," Blake said as the two of them sat down at the table.</p>
<p class="p1">"She had it catered," Yang whispered behind her hand right just as Pyrrha walked back into the room with another dish held in her hands.</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you!" the redhead replied happily. "I would say that I made it myself, but I know Yang already told you that it was catered."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang blushed. "I said nothing of the sort!"</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha just laughed, knowing her far too well to fall for such an obvious lie.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, it's fine - I can't cook to save my life," she admitted while setting down the plate in front of them. "But I'm fortunate to <em>know </em>people who can!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang and Blake both laughed while Pyrrha gestured amicably towards the table.</p>
<p class="p1">"Help yourselves," she directed before she began filling her own plate with food.</p>
<p class="p1">A comfortable silence broken only by the sound of clinking utensils enveloped them for the next few moments while they set in on the spectacular food. Yang made sure to shoot Pyrrha a wink when she saw Blake casually find and pick out the largest piece of tuna on the tray.</p>
<p class="p1">"So, Blake - Yang mentioned that you're going to be traveling for work tomorrow. Going anywhere exciting?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Ah...I'm going to be spending several days in Mistral. Since my new book was released recently, my manager signed me up to go on some talk show that's filmed there. And while I'm there I'll be going to some book signings, as well."</p>
<p class="p1">"Book signings...I'm very fond of those now!" Yang interjected with a grin. "I need to fit some more of those into my schedule."</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, I'm sure other authors will be just as thrilled to have you ask them out at their book signings," Blake replied deadpan, causing Yang's eyes to widen in horror.</p>
<p class="p1">"No, no! I meant <em>your</em> book signings! Not just random -"</p>
<p class="p1">She put her head in her hands when Pyrrha and Blake both started laughing at her attempt to cover for herself.</p>
<p class="p1">"You two are the worst," she muttered through her fingers, only looking up when Blake patted her gently on the back - finding the girl smiling at her in amusement.</p>
<p class="p1">"Have you ever been on television before?" Pyrrha asked, directing attention back towards Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"A couple of times...for other books. It's rather nerve wracking, really - being on live TV in front of a live audience…"</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh it's not so bad!" Yang quickly piped up, with Pyrrha nodding her head in agreement. "And live TV is way better because you only have to do one take!"</p>
<p class="p1">"Easy for you to say - you two practically live in front of cameras. I live behind my computer screen," Blake replied.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang and Pyrrha both exchanged glances before turning back to Blake with thoughtful expressions. It was a little difficult for her to remember what it had felt like the first time she had had to go in front of a camera...but she was sure it had probably been a little weird and scary.</p>
<p class="p1">"You should try to pretend that you and the host are the only ones there. That helps with some nerves," she suggested helpfully.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yes, and tell yourself that every time you move, you lose one life - and you only get five lives for the entire show," Pyrrha added, earning confused glances from both Yang and Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"What? It keeps you from fidgeting too much," she added with a shrug of her shoulders.</p>
<p class="p1">"What happens if I lose all of my lives?" Blake asked curiously, causing Pyrrha to look up from her plate and bite her lip in thought.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, I don't know - I've never gotten past four. But I'm sure something awful happens!"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang glared at her friend - not wanting the answer to make Blake feel any more nervous than she already was.</p>
<p class="p1">"You probably just end up owing your girlfriend a nice dinner or something," she added onto Pyrrha's comment, surprised when Blake began laughing beside her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh you're right - that <em>is</em> awful," the author replied, sending Yang a smile before sharing another giggle with Pyrrha. "But I'll try both those things - thank you."</p>
<p class="p1">A pattern began to emerge over the course of their meal - one where Yang was constantly flushed in embarrassment while the other two giggled at her unfortunate choice of words. But she honestly couldn't care less - she was having the best time in the world. She was actually a little disappointed when she noticed the time; their plates long since abandoned in the favor of continuing their conversation.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha glanced at the clock at nearly the same moment Yang did, feeling that time had gotten completely away from them. She wouldn't have minded staying late into the night, but she did know that Blake needed to be up early to make her flight on time.</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha nodded in acknowledgment of the silent request Yang sent her and said, "This was great - I'm really glad that we decided to have dinner tonight."</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm surprised that Yang agreed to allow us to meet at all," Blake responded with another small chuckle.</p>
<p class="p1">"I will have to admit that I called in a favor in order to get this done," the redhead responded, sending Yang a smirk.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang shot back a serious look and tiny shake of her head in an attempt to get the girl to stop talking, which Blake unfortunately noticed.</p>
<p class="p1">"There has to be a story there…" she said slowly, making Pyrrha laugh even harder while Yang glared at her, face flushing crimson at the memory.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, there most certainly is!"</p>
<p class="p1">"Which we will <em>not</em> be discussing tonight!" she cut in, hearing an edge of alarm in her voice at the prospect of telling Blake <em>that</em> story so soon. She was still struggling to make a good impression, as it was!</p>
<p class="p1">But Blake placed one hand over Yang's on top of the table, drawing her attention in order to give her a reassuring gaze.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'd really like to hear," she said with a smile.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang couldn't help but to completely melt into the girl's eyes, feeling all of her reservations disappear - replaced by the desire to grant whatever wish Blake made.</p>
<p class="p1">If this was all it took to convince Yang to do something...well, she was never going to be able to say 'no' to the girl…</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok," she agreed, turning back to give Pyrrha another glare while smoothly flipping her palm upwards so that she was now holding Blake's hand in her own.</p>
<p class="p1">"You can tell her - but don't embellish it like you usually do."</p>
<p class="p1">Pyrrha looked at her with an expression frozen somewhere between surprise and amusement at what she had just witnessed. But, shaking her head, the model grinned as she began telling her story.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well, I invited Yang to travel with me to Atlas last year - I was invited to be in the Atlas Fashion Show, you see. The actual event went very well and after the show, we were fortunate to be invited to attend a dinner hosted by the Atlas government - filled with dignitaries and politicians, including the governor and the head general."</p>
<p class="p1">"The governor, by the way, is like a thousand years old," Yang added, earning herself a look that made her close her mouth and gesture for Pyrrha to continue her story.</p>
<p class="p1">"Anyway...dinner was going splendidly - I was having a wonderful conversation with the general's wife, who is a truly magnificent lady - when I heard a loud commotion coming from the hallway. I can still vividly remember the sinking feeling in my stomach when I realized that Yang was no longer sitting at the table...and neither was the governor's young and amazingly beautiful fiancée…"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake turned to look at Yang, mouth hanging open. Yang can already feel her face steaming in humiliation when the two girls directed their full attention her way.</p>
<p class="p1">"You didn't."</p>
<p class="p1">"I didn't know she was engaged!" Yang instantly shouted in her defense.</p>
<p class="p1">"They introduced her at the beginning of the meal!" Pyrrha shouted back, letting a small giggle slip past her lips that belied her presumed anger.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well...I wasn't paying attention during the introductions because a pretty girl was making eyes at me…" she muttered unhappily. "And she kissed me first!"</p>
<p class="p1">She was beyond embarrassed and a little horrified about what Blake might think about her now that she had heard that story. It didn't exactly pin her in the best light.</p>
<p class="p1">So she was pleasantly surprised when Blake started laughing - and absolutely elated when she felt the small, reassuring squeeze of her hand.</p>
<p class="p1">"What happened next?"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang looked at Blake in shock before turning back to Pyrrha with a grin that told the redhead she could continue.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well...the governor was <em>beyond</em> furious, of course, and threatened to throw us both into prison."</p>
<p class="p1">"But they didn't!" Yang added.</p>
<p class="p1">"No - we're just never allowed back in Atlas," Pyrrha added dryly.</p>
<p class="p1">Blake burst out laughing while Pyrrha fought to keep a scowl on her face.</p>
<p class="p1">"Never?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Never."</p>
<p class="p1">"No, not never!" Yang answered, trying once again to contain the damage. "Just until that guy is no longer in charge - and, realistically, he's going to die in like ten years or something, he's so old."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh great…ten years," Pyrrha replied with a roll of her eyes.</p>
<p class="p1">"You don't even like Atlas!" Yang exclaimed. "What did you call it again? 'Smelly and crowded?'"</p>
<p class="p1">"But I might still like to go there sometime!"</p>
<p class="p1">"Well you can! In ten years," she responded frankly - unable to resist letting out a giggle of her own at the ridiculousness of the situation.</p>
<p class="p1">"She really did kiss me first though," she said, turning once again towards Blake.</p>
<p class="p1">"I can believe that - you do seem to have that effect on people," the girl responded bashfully, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks.</p>
<p class="p1">Grinning at the sight, Yang's thoughts were immediately pulled back to the memory of their own first kiss. A soft cough drew her attention away from Blake, realizing that she had been staring just a bit too intently.</p>
<p class="p1">"Did you have a lot you need to get done before tomorrow, or would you like some tea?" Pyrrha asked politely, waving one hand towards the kitchen where the tea was waiting to be made.</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh, wow it got late," Blake said after glancing at the clock, turning back to Yang. "I really should get home - I actually haven't even packed yet. But I can always take a taxi if you'd-"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang held up a hand to stop Blake from finishing that sentence.</p>
<p class="p1">"I'm leaving with you, of course," she said, waving one hand dismissively in Pyrrha's direction. "Pyrrha and I already spend enough time together."</p>
<p class="p1">"Oh thanks," the redhead responded with a laugh as the three of them stood from the table. "I'll be sure to remember that the next time you're complaining about how little we get to hang out when I'm working."</p>
<p class="p1">Holding her hands up in the shape of a heart, Yang mouthed 'but I love you' to her friend, laughing when Pyrrha shook her head in response and led them back to the front door.</p>
<p class="p1">"Thank you so much for agreeing to come tonight, Blake," Pyrrha said, opening the door and letting them step outside. "It really was wonderful to finally meet you."</p>
<p class="p1">"The same to you - and thank you so much for the amazing dinner and even better stories," Blake responded, drawing one more happy laugh from the redhead before she began making her way to the elevator doors.</p>
<p class="p1">When Yang moved to follow, a hand on her arm forced her to stop.</p>
<p class="p1">"Hold on a second, Yang."</p>
<p class="p1">She turned back to Pyrrha in confusion, noticing Blake glance between the two of them before politely continuing her walk to the elevator to give them space to speak in private.</p>
<p class="p1">"So...I love her."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang beamed at her friend's admission.</p>
<p class="p1">"Good! Because...I think I do too," she whispered quietly so that Blake couldn't overhear her.</p>
<p class="p1">Deep down, she knew that she was already in love with Blake, but didn't want to fully admit that out loud just yet. Not if there was any chance the writer didn't feel the same way about her.</p>
<p class="p1">"Try not to mess it up," Pyrrha teased, making Yang playfully swat at her shoulder.</p>
<p class="p1">"Please...I'm not letting her go," she said, finally walking away to join Blake while giving Pyrrha a wink and a wave goodbye. "Thanks for ordering dinner!"</p>
<p class="p1">She grinned when Pyrrha scowled down the hallway at her, laughing while she and Blake stepped into the elevator together.</p>
<p class="p1">"So? What did you think?" she asked curiously as the elevator doors slid shut.</p>
<p class="p1">"She's really, really great," Blake answered, golden eyes locking onto her own. "I had a wonderful time - thank you for...agreeing...to invite me."</p>
<p class="p1">When Blake smiled at her, Yang couldn't turn away - her eyes drinking in every speck of light shining through Blake's gaze.</p>
<p class="p1">How had she been so lucky to find someone like Blake?</p>
<p class="p1">"She is great," her mouth responded for her automatically while her mind continued to praise the high heavens for allowing this angel to walk into her life. "So uh...when do I get to meet your friends?"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake let out a laugh at the question while they made their way towards the valet.</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you want to meet my friends now?" she asked, eyes twinkling at Yang in amusement.</p>
<p class="p1">"Well...yeah! I mean, you met Pyrrha so...unless you don't want me to meet them, I guess."</p>
<p class="p1">Blake shook her head and placed one hand reassuringly on Yang's shoulder.</p>
<p class="p1">"Of course you can - I'll make sure to set something up when I'm back in town."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang grinned at the girl before noticing her car being returned to them via the valet, marking their departure from Pyrrha's building.</p>
<p class="p1">The drive back to Blake's building was filled with more teasing - mostly on Blake's part, since the author was now loaded with more than a few of Yang's most embarrassing stories.</p>
<p class="p1">When they made it back to the building and stepped into the lobby, Yang was prepared to say their goodbyes and head back outside. That was, until Blake's hand found her own and drew her to the elevator doors. In no time at all, they had gotten out of the elevator and walked down the hallway until they were standing in front of an unassuming apartment door.</p>
<p class="p1">"So is this…" Yang began to ask.</p>
<p class="p1">"Yup," the author responded plainly. "I just thought...we didn't have to say goodbye in front of everyone."</p>
<p class="p1">"Ah…"</p>
<p class="p1">Yang could feel the awkward energy settle upon them, still holding hands while Blake fiddled with a set of keys in her other hand. Yang knew that she was stalling - content with lingering in the hallway rather than being forced to say goodbye.</p>
<p class="p1">It was only going to be a few days...but still...Yang had just found her - and now she was going away?</p>
<p class="p1">"Do you need me to drive you to the airport or anything?" she offered hopefully.</p>
<p class="p1">"That's ok...my flight is really early and I already have a car lined up," Blake responded with a smile. "Thank you for offering though."</p>
<p class="p1">The answer was slightly disappointing, but Yang understood that Blake didn't want to inconvenience her. Of course, the author probably didn't realize that Yang would <em>love</em> to spend just a few more minutes with her before she left.</p>
<p class="p1">"Ok then...uh...I'll see you in a few days? I mean - assuming you still want to see me then?"</p>
<p class="p1">"Of course, I'll want to see you as soon as I get back," Blake replied with a chuckle.</p>
<p class="p1">Yang brightened up immensely at Blake's words.</p>
<p class="p1">"Then I'll be here waiting for you!"</p>
<p class="p1">Blake smiled - one of those smiles that made Yang's heart catch in her chest and her breath come out in uneven puffs of air.</p>
<p class="p1">"You'd better be," Blake replied with a sly smile.</p>
<p class="p1">And Yang couldn't stop herself - she pulled Blake in for a kiss, pouring all of her feelings through their connected lips as she tried to explain to the girl just how much she was going to miss her. Her fingers wrapped themselves within raven colored locks while she felt a lithe hand slide to a rest on her hip, Blake's fingertips directing Yang closer with little force at all.</p>
<p class="p1">It was only when her brain began registering a lack of oxygen was she forced to pull away.</p>
<p class="p1">"I think...that might hold me over…" she whispered breathlessly, finding Blake's eyes keenly searching her own while their faces were mere inches apart - their jagged breaths colliding together midway between the space separating them.</p>
<p class="p1">"You might need one more...for the drive home."</p>
<p class="p1">Yang grinned at the comment before their lips crashed back together.</p>
<p class="p1">She really loved this girl.</p>
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